User manual

Table Of Contents

Chord diagrams

Chord diagrams represent the pattern of strings and frets on fretted instruments and use dots

to indicate the stopped nger positions required to produce the corresponding chord. This

demonstrates the specic shape of chords in a compact way and is useful if a particular voicing is

required.

In Dorico Elements, chord diagrams are part of chord symbols, meaning you can show them

below chord symbols wherever they are shown. You can show chord diagram shapes for any

fretted instrument, including different tunings and string arrangements, such as guitar DADGAD

tuning. This can be different to the instrument above which they appear, for example, if you want

to show chord diagram shapes for standard guitar tuning above the bass staff.

You can also show chord diagrams for all chord symbols used in a ow in a grid at the start of the

ow, as is common in lead sheets for pop and rock music. You can show used chord diagrams

grids independently of showing them alongside chord symbols in the music.

A sequence of chord symbols with chord diagrams for banjo

The positions of stopped frets relative to each other are known as “shapes” in Dorico Elements.

Any playable shape can be re-used for other chords whose pitches match the shape, including

any new chord diagram shapes you have created. This includes shapes being available for other

instruments, other tunings, and other positions along the fretboard, so long as any open strings

included in the shape can be played with a barré at other fret positions.

A single chord can appear with different chord diagram shapes for different instruments and

tunings, as their open string pitches and the number of strings they have varies.