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<p>
<a name="Chord-mode-overview"></a>
Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Common-chords.html#Common-chords">Common chords</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Chord-mode.html#Chord-mode">Chord mode</a>
<hr>
</div>
<h5 class="unnumberedsubsubsec">Chord mode overview</h5>
<p><a name="index-chord-names-2133"></a><a name="index-chord-mode-2134"></a>
Chords can be entered as simultaneous music, as discussed in
<a href="Chorded-notes.html#Chorded-notes">Chorded notes</a>.
<p>Chords can also be entered in “chord mode”, which is an input
mode that focuses on the structures of chords in traditional
European music, rather than on specific pitches. This is
convenient for those who are familiar with using chord names to
describe chords. More information on different input modes can be
found at <a href="Input-modes.html#Input-modes">Input modes</a>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode { c1 g a g c }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../d3/lily-dfedfb12.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../d3/lily-dfedfb12.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Chords entered using chord mode are music elements, and can be
transposed just like chords entered using simultaneous music.
<p>Chord mode and note mode can be mixed in sequential music:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
<c e g>2 <g b d>
\chordmode { c2 f }
<c e g>2 <g' b d>
\chordmode { f2 g }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../a8/lily-de85eb5c.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../a8/lily-de85eb5c.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Music Glossary:
<a name="index-chord-2135"></a><a href="../music-glossary/chord.html#chord">chord</a>.
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Chorded-notes.html#Chorded-notes">Chorded notes</a>,
<a href="Input-modes.html#Input-modes">Input modes</a>.
<p>Snippets:
<a href="../../../input/lsr/lilypond-snippets/Chords.html#Chords">Chords</a>
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">Known issues and warnings</h5>
<p>When chord mode and note mode are mixed in sequential music, and
chord mode comes first, the note mode will create a new <code>Staff</code>
context.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode { c2 f }
<c e g>2 <g' b d>
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../0d/lily-9a1810f2.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../0d/lily-9a1810f2.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To avoid this behavior, explicitly create the <code>Staff</code> context:
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\new Staff {
\chordmode { c2 f }
<c e g>2 <g' b d>
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../84/lily-384266b7.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../84/lily-384266b7.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
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Next: <a rel="next" accesskey="n" href="Common-chords.html#Common-chords">Common chords</a>,
Up: <a rel="up" accesskey="u" href="Chord-mode.html#Chord-mode">Chord mode</a>
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