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How Orfeo Reads Chords

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Orfeo reads chords the way a musician reads a lead sheet: it listens to the instruments that play the harmony, ignores the melody running over it and names a new chord only when the accompaniment really moves on. Two settings let you tune this for songs where the default reading isn’t right.

How it works

  • A chord lasts until the harmony changes. A melody moving over a held chord doesn’t change its name.
  • Rolled and broken chords count as one chord. An arpeggio is gathered into a single name instead of a new name on every note.
  • Quick changes still show. Three or four real chords in one bar, such as a turnaround or a walk-up, each get their own name.
  • Plain names win. Orfeo prefers the name a chart would print, so a passing note doesn’t turn a simple triad into an exotic jazz chord.
  • The bass adds a slash. If the lowest note isn’t the root, the chord is written as an inversion, such as C/E.

Chord tracking: which instruments are read

Choose the mode under Chord tracking in Settings → Chords & Notation. The change applies instantly to the song that’s open.

Mode

Reads

Use it for

Auto (default)

The instruments that play chords, such as piano, keys, guitar, strings and pads. Melody, bass and drums are set aside.

Most songs. It’s the most accurate and steadiest reading.

Harmony

Every track except drums, melody included

Dense textures such as film music, choirs or thick synth arrangements, where no single instrument carries the chords. Expect more movement.

Follow

One instrument group (By Group) or one track (By Track) that you pick

When you know exactly which part carries the chords, for example the rhythm guitar.

A By Group choice is remembered for every song. A By Track choice applies to the open song only. If the chosen group or track isn’t in a song, Orfeo falls back to Auto.

Chord reading: how much detail to show

Setting

Behaviour

Safe (default)

Names a chord’s extra notes, like a 7th, only once they’ve rung long enough to be certain.

Progressive

Also trusts a clean grab of notes, played together or rolled quickly, and shows that extra colour straight away, even on a brief chord.

Try Progressive on jazz or pop songs with quick, colourful chords. On a few very busy songs it can take a couple of seconds to catch up after switching.

If the chords look wrong

  • Start with Auto.
  • If the display stays blank or too thin, usually in a sparse or unusual arrangement, try Harmony.
  • If one instrument clearly plays the chords, choose Follow and pick that instrument.
  • If quick chords lose their colour, switch Chord reading to Progressive.

Accuracy is best on pop, rock and anything with a clear piano or guitar accompaniment. Still being improved: sheet-music arrangements that print the sung melody inside the piano part, and naming inversions in solo piano pieces without a separate bass line.

 Tip

Chord names drive the Chord Prompter, Lock-A-Chord and the PDF chord chart too, so tuning the mode for a song improves all of them.