Steinberg Cubase 8 Manual

Chord Functions
Chord Events
821
•The Proximity mode underlies the same rules as the List mode.
Adding Chord Events Based on Suggestions
If you do not know what your chord progression should look like, you can use the 
Chord Assistant to get suggestions for the following chords.
PREREQUISITE 
Add a chord event on the chord track.
PROCEDURE
1. Double-click the chord event
2. Click Chord Assistant.
3. Click Add Chord.
4. Do one of the following:
• To display the suggestions in a list, click the List tab.
•...

Chord Functions
Chord Events
822
RESULT 
The suggested chord is added as chord event to the chord track. Repeat the steps 
above to create as many chord events as required by your harmonic structure.
Chord Assistant – Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths mode of the Chord Assistant shows the chords in an 
interactive visualization of the circle of fifths.
The origin chord that defines the current key is shown in the center of the Chord 
Assistant and is marked as tonic (I).
The outer circle shows the...

Chord Functions
Chord Events
823
Auditioning Chord Events
To hear the chord events on the chord track, you must connect the chord track to 
the output of an instrument or a MIDI track.
PREREQUISITE 
Add the chord track and some chord events.
PROCEDURE
1. Do one of the following:
• To add an instrument track, select Project > Add Track > Instrument.
• To add a MIDI track, select Project > Add Track > MIDI.
2. Assign a VST instrument to your instrument or MIDI track and select a sound.
3. In the chord...

Chord Functions
Scale Events
824
Scale Events
Scale events inform you which chord events fit in a specific sequence of notes that 
belong to a specific root note.
Cubase automatically creates scale events for your chord events.
• To show the scale events, activate Show Scales on the chord track.
• To audition the notes that belong to a scale event, click it.
However, you can also add and edit scale events manually.
Scale events have a specific start position. Their end is determined by the start of 
the...

Chord Functions
Voicings
825
Voicings
Voicings determine how chord events are set up. They define the vertical spacing 
and order of the pitches in a chord, but also the instrumentation and genre of a 
musical piece.
For example, a C chord can be spread over a wide range of pitches, and a pianist 
will choose different notes than a guitarist. The pianist may also play completely 
different pitches for different musical genres.
• You can set up voicing for the entire chord track in the chord track...

Chord Functions
Voicings
826
4)Adaptive Voicings
Activate this to let Cubase set the voicings automatically. This prevents the 
individual voices from jumping too much.
5)Automatic Scales
Activate this to let Cubase set the scales automatically.
6)Mapping Offset
If you enter a negative number of ticks, the chord events will affect the MIDI 
notes that have been triggered too early.
Configure Voicing Parameters
If you click Configure Voicing Parameters in the Voicings section of the 
Inspector, you can...

Chord Functions
Voicings
827
In the Options section for Piano voicings, you can set up the following parameters:
Add Root Note
Adds a root note.
Duplicate Root
Duplicates the root note.
Fatten up
Duplicates the tenor.
In the Voicing Range section for Piano voicings, you can set up the following 
parameters:
Lowest Root Note
Sets the limit for the lowest root note.
Lowest Note
Sets the limit for the lowest note, except the root note.
Highest Note
Sets the limit for the highest note, except the root note....

Chord Functions
Converting Chord Events to MIDI
828
Converting Chord Events to MIDI
You can convert chord events to MIDI for further editing or for printing a lead sheet 
in the Score Editor.
PROCEDURE
1. Add an instrument track or a MIDI track.
• To add an instrument track, select Project > Add Track > Instrument.
• To add a MIDI track, select Project > Add Track > MIDI.
2. Do one of the following:
• To convert all chord events to MIDI, select Project > Chord Track > Chords 
to MIDI.
• To convert only...

Chord Functions
Controlling MIDI or Audio Playback using the Chord Track
829
Assigning Chord Events to HALion Sonic SE Pads
PREREQUISITE 
Create a chord progression on the chord track and add an instrument track with 
HALion Sonic SE as VST instrument to your project.
PROCEDURE
1. On the chord track, select the chord events and drag them to the HALion 
Sonic SE pads.
The first chord event is mapped to the pad where you dropped it, and all subsequent 
chord events are mapped to the following pads.
2....

Chord Functions
Controlling MIDI or Audio Playback using the Chord Track
830
Using Follow Chord Track
This allows you to match an existing recording to a chord progression on the chord 
track.
PROCEDURE
1. Select the track that you want to match to the chord track.
2. In the Inspector, click Chords.
3. Open the Follow Chord Track pop-up menu and select a mode.
NOTE
If this is the first time that you open this pop-up menu for the track, the Follow Chord 
Track dialog opens.
4. In the Follow Chord Track...