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<p>
<a name="Extended-and-altered-chords"></a>
Previous: <a rel="previous" accesskey="p" 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">Extended and altered chords</h5>
<p><a name="index-extended-chords-2149"></a><a name="index-altered-chords-2150"></a>
Chord structures of arbitrary complexity can be created in chord
mode. The modifier string can be used to extend a chord, add or
remove chord steps, raise or lower chord steps, and add a bass note
or create an inversion.
<p>The first number following the <code>:</code> is taken to be the extent
of the chord. The chord is constructed by sequentially adding
thirds to the root until the specified number has been reached.
If the extent is not a third (e.g., 6), thirds are added up to the
highest third below the extent, and then the step of the extent is
added. The largest possible value for the extent is 13. Any
larger value is interpreted as 13.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1:2 c:3 c:4 c:5
c1:6 c:7 c:8 c:9
c1:10 c:11 c:12 c:13
c1:14
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../a0/lily-5100d847.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../a0/lily-5100d847.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p class="noindent">Note that both <code>c:5</code> and <code>c</code> produce a C major triad.
<p>Since an unaltered 11 does not sound good when combined with an
unaltered 13, the 11 is removed from a <code>:13</code> chord (unless it
is added explicitly).
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1:13 c:13.11 c:m13
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../28/lily-ffab05f6.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../28/lily-ffab05f6.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-additions_002c-in-chords-2151"></a>
Individual steps can be added to a chord. Additions follow the
extent and are prefixed by a dot (<code>.</code>).
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1:5.6 c:3.7.8 c:3.6.13
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../2b/lily-c3bc008e.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../2b/lily-c3bc008e.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Added steps can be as high as desired.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c4:5.15 c:5.20 c:5.25 c:5.30
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../a1/lily-870e7a83.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../a1/lily-870e7a83.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-chord-steps_002c-altering-2152"></a>
Added chord steps can be altered by suffixing a <code>-</code> or <code>+</code>
sign to the number. To alter a step that is automatically included
as part of the basic chord structure, add it as an altered step.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1:7+ c:5+.3- c:3-.5-.7-
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../78/lily-ec7756e0.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../78/lily-ec7756e0.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-removals_002c-in-chords-2153"></a>
<a name="index-g_t_005e-2154"></a><a name="index-g_t_005e-2155"></a>
<p>Following any steps to be added, a series of steps to be removed
is introduced in a modifier string with a prefix of <code>^</code>.
If more than one step is to be removed, the steps to be
removed are separated by <code>.</code> following the
initial <code>^</code>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1^3 c:7^5 c:9^3 c:9^3.5 c:13.11^3.7
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../aa/lily-fc2136a3.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../aa/lily-fc2136a3.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-sus-2156"></a><a name="index-sus-2157"></a>
<p>The modifier <code>sus</code> can be added to the modifier string to
create suspended chords. This removes the 3rd step from the chord.
Append either <code>2</code> or <code>4</code> to add the 2nd or 4th step to the
chord. <code>sus</code> is equivalent to <code>^3</code>; <code>sus4</code> is
equivalent to <code>.4^3</code>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1:sus c:sus2 c:sus4 c:5.4^3
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../ee/lily-e9bfc151.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../ee/lily-e9bfc151.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-g_t_002f-2158"></a><a name="index-g_t_002f-2159"></a>
<a name="index-chord-inversions-2160"></a><a name="index-bass-note_002c-for-chords-2161"></a>
Inversions (putting a pitch other than the root on the bottom of the
chord) and added bass notes can be specified by appending
<code>/</code><var>pitch</var> to the chord.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1 c/g c/f
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../4a/lily-1fb1964e.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../4a/lily-1fb1964e.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a name="index-g_t_002f_002b-2162"></a><a name="index-g_t_002f_002b-2163"></a>
<p>A bass note that is part of the chord can be added, instead of
moved as part of an inversion, by using <code>/+</code><var>pitch</var>.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c1 c/g c/+g
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../fd/lily-87273ff1.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../fd/lily-87273ff1.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Chord modifiers that can be used to produce a variety of
standard chords are shown in
<a href="Common-chord-modifiers.html#Common-chord-modifiers">Common chord modifiers</a>.
<p class="noindent">
<h5 class="subsubheading">See also</h5>
<p class="indent">
<p>Notation Reference:
<a href="Common-chord-modifiers.html#Common-chord-modifiers">Common chord modifiers</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>Each step can only be present in a chord once. The following
simply produces the augmented chord, since <code>5+</code> is
interpreted last.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode { c1:5.5-.5+ }
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../e6/lily-78b420e1.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../e6/lily-78b420e1.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Only the second inversion can be created by adding a bass
note. The first inversion requires changing the root of
the chord.
<blockquote>
<pre class="verbatim">
\chordmode {
c'1: c':/g e:6-3-^5 e:m6-^5
}
</pre>
<p>
<a href="../e2/lily-6aebaa7b.ly">
<img align="middle"
border="0" src="../e2/lily-6aebaa7b.png" alt="[image of music]">
</a>
</p>
</blockquote>
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