Copyright: ENJOY YOUR GUITAR! 1.1 (C) 1993 SERGIO VILLARREAL


Help Contents
Enjoy Your Guitar: Contents

The Contents lists Help topics available for Enjoy Your Guitar!. Use the scroll bar to see entries not currently visible in the Help window.

To learn how to use Help, press F1 or choose How to Use Help from the Help menu.

Quick Start.

Using Chords and Scales Files.

The Chord Editor.

The Scale Editor.

Playing the Chords and Scales.

Copying Chords and Scales.

Writing Songs and Other Ideas.

The Shareware Concept.

Registration.


Quick Start

Enjoy your Guitar is very easy to use. Follow these steps and you will learn most of what you need to know to use it.

a) Select a Chords and Scales file.

When you load Enjoy your Guitar, the last Chords-and-Scales file you worked with is automatically opened. You can open another file, or clear the Chord Table to build a file from scratch.

b) Select the visible Chord Sets.

Using the combo boxes located at the left side of the screen, select 6 chord sets, from 36 alternatives. The chord diagrams for each of the 11 roots will appear in the corresponding row.

c) Play the chords.

Using the right mouse button, click on the chord diagram you want to listen to. The chord will be played back using the PC speaker, or using MIDI, if you have a Multimedia Card or a MIDI card and a MIDI synthesizer.

d) To Modify a chord:

Drag it using the mouse, to the lower section of the screen, where there is a representation of a guitar fretboard. At the extreme right of this section, you will find a description of how the Copy function will be executed. Press the OK button to complete the procedure.

Drag the black rectangles that represent the finger positions, to where you want them to be. To reassign a finger to the rectangles, click with the right mouse button over the rectangle you want to modify, and give the appropriate finger number, using the dialog box that will pop up. The chord in the editor is also represented using a music staff and a keyboard. Any changes you make to the chord will be immediately reflected there.

e) Play the Chord.

Clicking with the right mouse button over the fretboard, you will be able to listen to the chord.

f) Select a Scale.

At the bottom of the screen, and in the center, you will find 2 combo boxes. One will allow you to select the Key of the scale. The other one will present you with different type of scales, some using numbers, some using colours, and others combining both colours and numbers.

Use the scale information to guide you in the creation of new chords.

Play the selected scale using the button located in the lower middle section of the Editor Window.

g) Copy the modified chord.

Drag the guitar fretboard to the desired location in the Chord Table. Conclude this operation clicking the OK button.

h) Save the new chords and scales using the options available in the File Menu.


File Menu
File Menu:

NEW CHORD FILE:

Select this option to initialize the Chord Table in memory. This program does not alter the SCALE definitions.

OPEN CHORDS AND SCALES:

Use this option to load a new CHORDS AND SCALES file to memory.

SAVE CHORDS AND SCALES:

Use this option to save the CHORDS AND SCALES in memory to a file.

SAVE CHORDS AND SCALES AS:

Use this option to save to a file the CHORDS AND SCALES in memory with a new file name.

SAVE SETTINGS:

Use this Option to save the SETTINGS to be used when the program is started again.

SAVE ALL:

This option will save the Chords and Scales and the DEFAULT SETTINGS.

EXIT:

This option will terminate the execution of this program. If the settings or any of the chords or scales have changed, you will receive a warning message.


File Open

This program will open a new CHORDS AND SCALES file. You have to select the File Path and File Name. The file original.crd contains the chords and scales you received with this program.

When you try to execute this program, and the CHORDS or SCALES in memory have changed, you will receive a warning, suggesting you to SAVE what you have in memory to its corresponding file before opening a new file.


File Save

This option will save the CHORDS and SCALES currently in memory to its file. If what you have in memory is a new file, or if it is the original.crd file, you will be asked for a Filename. original.crd cannot be overwritten. If you want to save the information in memory with a different file name, you will have to use the menu option FILE | SAVE AS.


File, Save as...
File Save As

This program will ask you for a File Path and a File Name where to store the CHORDS and SCALES currently in memory. This name has to have the termination ".crd" to be accepted. This termination will be added automatically if  you do not specify it.

The file original.crd is a read-only file, it cannot be rewritten.


Configuration Menu

This menu will present two options:

Show Fingering

Clicking on this option will toggle this feature ON/OFF. When it is ON, a check mark will appear next to it, and the FINGERINGS for all of the chords in the Table, will be displayed on top of each one of them. An "X" will be displayed for the strings that should not be played, and "o" will appear for each string to be played open.

Show Notes

Clicking on this option will toggle this feature ON/OFF. When it is set to ON, a check mark will appear next to it, and the NOTES generated by the chord will be shown below each of the chords in the table.

MIDI Setup

This menu option, will display a dialog box, that will allow you to configure your sound devices. In a Text Box located at the bottom of the form, a description of the field that has the focus, and its acceptable values, is displayed.


Settings
SETTINGS, Contents.

The SETTINGS contain information used to determine what information will be presented and how. This include:

a)	The flags that indicate whether or not the fields FINGERS and NOTES will be displayed in the CHORD TABLE,

b)	The initial CHORDS AND SCALES file,

c)	The initial SCALE and KEY to be displayed.

d)	The configuration for the sound device are MIDI port, that will determine how the Chords and Scales will be played.


MIDI Setup

In the MIDI setup dialog box you will find the following terms:

MIDI Device:

This Combo Box will present you with the MIDI devices available in your system. Select the one you want to use to play the chords and scales.

If there is no device available, this program will use the PC speaker to play the chords and scales.

Channel:

Midi channel number used to play the chord and scales. The valid values are 1 to 16. 0 will force the program to use the PC speaker to play the chords.

This selection will have no effect if this program will not be using MIDI.

Patch:

Select the patch number you want this program to send through the selected MIDI device and channel.

This selection will have no effect if this program will not be using MIDI.

Chord Duration:

Time in milliseconds that the chord will be sustained.

This selection will have no effect if this program will not be using MIDI.

Chord Delay

Time in milliseconds between each note of the chord. This information affects the speed of the arpeggio.

This selection will have no effect if this program will not be using MIDI.

Velocity:

The higher this value, the loudest the sound you will get from a MIDI sound module. Accepted values are 0 to 127.

This value does not have any effect when the program uses the PC speaker to play the chords and scales.

Transposition:

Use this options, to select the octave to use, when playing the chords and scales through a MIDI port or your PC speaker.


Manual, read and print
Manual

Use this menu option to read and/or print the manual for ENJOY YOUR GUITAR!.

This  program uses WINDOWS WRITE. If you do not have it installed, or if its location is not included in the DOS Path (see your AUTOEXEC.BAT file), you will not be able to run this option.

To obtain information on how to use WRITE, consult your WINDOWS manual or WRITE's Help File.


Registration

This program is being offered as SHAREWARE. You can use it for evaluation porpoises only. After you try it, if you decide to continue using it, you have to register as user and pay the corresponding fee.

You will then receive:

a) The latest and improved version of this program and its documentation. The identification form at the beginning of the program will ask no questions. There will be no registration form when you exit this program.

b) One FREE additional upgrade.

c) Notifications whenever there is a new release of Enjoy your Guitar or related programs.

d) Satisfaction for supporting this wonderful marketing system, that presents you with quality software at an incredible low price, and that allows you to try before you buy.

Paying a SHAREWARE distributor for a diskette containing this files does turn you into a registered user.

To register, select from the REGISTRATION menu the item REGISTRATION FORM. Fill up the order form and select the PRINT button. Please be sure to indicate you disk format and send check for the AMOUNT and CURRENCY that corresponds to your place of residence.

Feel free to give copies of this files to your friends.

Thanks for supporting this wonderful concept, that allows you to try before you buy, and brings to you quality software at very low prices.

Please send me your comments.

SERGIO VILLARREAL

SUITE 231

7-981 WELLINGTON ROAD S.

LONDON, ONTARIO

N6E 3A9 CANADA

Compuserve: 75060,2356

To register in Compuserve: GO SWREG, program ID 991


Chords and Scales File
The Chords and Scales File.

These files contain:

a)	A collection of 36 Chord Sets of 11 chords each.

b)	A collection of 33 Scales of up to 9 steps.

Enjoy Your Guitar! comes with the Chords and Scales file Original.crd. This is a read-only file. If you Edit, Copy, or Import a chord, or if you Edit or import a Scale, you will have to save the file with a new name. You can also create new files from scratch.

Usually, each Chord Set contains chords of the same type (i.e. Major, Minor). However, this program does not limit the user on what kind of chords can be stored in a Set. A songwriter can use some sets to store the chords for the Verses of a song, another sets for the Choruses, and the remaining sets as a sketch pad.


Chord Table
The Chord Table

The Chord Table has 6 visible Chord Sets arranged into 11 columns, one for each chord transposition. You can select the Chord Sets that you need to be visible, using the Combo Boxes located at the left side of the main window.

For each cell, there is a chord diagram showing with black squares, the frets where there are stopped strings.

Above these chord diagrams, if the option "Show Fingering" in the CONFIGURATION MENU is ON, the FINGERINGS for each chord will be displayed.

Below these chord diagrams, if the option "Show Notes" in the CONFIGURATION MENU is ON, the resulting NOTES for each chord will be displayed.

At the left of the diagram, a number will appear, to indicate which guitar fret, is the one represented as the first in the diagram. This trick permits to show chords that start after the fourth fret.

Whenever a chord spans for more than four frets, the stopped strings will be represented using Red squares. This chords can be properly viewed, only when they are copied to the Chord Editor.

You can Copy any visible Chords to other visible Chord Sets, or if you want to modify a Chord, you can copy it to the Chord Editor.

You can Play any visible chord in the Table by clicking with the right mouse button on its chord diagram, or for chords in the Editor, on the Editor's fretboard.


Chord Names

The name for each Chord Set appears in the text portion of the Combo Boxes located at the left side of the Chord Table. If the Chord Set Name contains a slash "/" followed by a number, it means that there are more than one Chord Set of the same type and with similar name. They contain equivalent chords using different finger positions.

The Chord Set names usually include the following literals:

Literal      Type of Chord

M, Blank   = Major

m          = Minor

o, o5, Dim = Diminished (fifth)

x5, Ag5    = Augmented (fifth)

7, Mm7     = Seventh, Majorminor seventh

MM7        = MajorMajor Seventh

mm7        = MinorMinor Seventh

o7, Dim7   = Diminished Seventh

o5m7       = Half Diminished, Diminished fifthMinor Seventh

x5m7, Ag5m7= Augmented FifthMinor Seventh

MmM9, Mm7M9= MajorMajor Ninth

Mmm9, Mm7m9= MajorMinor Ninth

mmM9, mm7m9= MinorMajor Ninth

M6         = Major Added Sixth

m6         = Minor Added Sixth

The Roots assigned to the columns are fixed and named at the top of the table.

The Name for each individual chord is formed combining its Root (column) with its Cord Set Name (row).

See also:

Changing Chord Set Names


Chord Notes
Interpretation of Note Numbers

The Chord Notes will be displayed below of each chord diagram in the  table, if the Check Mark, in the SHOW NOTES option of the CONFIGURATION MENU is present.

You can only make changes to the Chord Notes, by changing the string stops, using the CHORD EDITOR.

The notes are represented by the numbers 0 to 9 and the letters "t" (ten) and "e" (eleven). These note numbers are calculated as the number of half-steps between the root of the chord, and the resulting note for each string.

In the Chord Table, the note numbers for each chord are calculated, using as reference the root corresponding to the column the chord is located.

In the Chord Editor the Chord Notes are indicated at the right hand side of the guitar fretboard for each string that is played. These note numbers are calculated in reference to the KEY, as it is shown in the KEY combo Box located at the bottom of the Editor's window.

The most common interpretation of this information is as follows:

0  = Root         6  = Dimin.5th

1  = Minor 9th    7  = Perf. 5th

2  = Major 9th    8  = Minor 13th,Add.6th, Agm 5th

3  = Minor 3rd    9  = Major 6th, Add 6th

4  = Major 3rd    10 = Minor 7th

5  = Perf. 11th   11 = Major 7th


Finding a Chord Set

To select a Chord Set not currently shown in the Table, click in the Combo Box located at the left of the screen, and in the row where you want the Chord Set to appear. Select from the list, the Chord Set Name of the chords you want to be displayed.

If you do not find the Chord Set you are looking for, try another Chords and Scales file.

See also:

Chords and Scales Files.

Importing Chord Sets.

Changing the Name of a Chord Set.


Chord Copy
Copying Chords

To copy a chord to a new location, just DRAG the chord with the mouse to its new location, which can be another chord location, or the CHORD EDITOR located at the bottom of the screen.

After you release the mouse button, the source location turns blue and the destination turns red. In the lower right corner of the Editor window, there are two command buttons, that will allow you to complete the copy procedure or to cancel it. The names of the source and destination locations will appear in the text boxes next to these buttons.

To copy a chord to the CLIPBOARD, you have to copy it to the CHORD EDITOR first. Whenever you have a chord in the editor, the "Copy To" box will have the word "CLIPBOARD", and the OK button will send the corresponding chord diagram to the Clipboard.

If you want to change the chord name before copying it from the Editor to the Clipboard, select the Text Box located in the lower left part of the screen and retype the Chord Name as desired.

See also:

Importing Chord Sets.


Copy To/From Fields

This Text Boxes are located in the lower left corner of the Editor window. They contain the names of the source and destination, for a Copy procedure that would take place, if the COPY button located below this boxes is clicked.


Importing Chords and Scales
Importing Chord Sets and/or Scales From Another Files

From the EDIT menu select IMPORT.

A Dialog Box will ask you for the name of a file that contains the source Chords and Scales

A list containing the SOURCE information will be presented in the left side. At the right side the current CHORDS or SCALES will be shown.

Select the type of information you want to import, using one of the option radio Buttons located at the extreme right of the form. There is one option for SCALES, and another one for CHORDS.

Select, by clicking with the mouse, the SOURCE and the DESTINATION locations.

Click on the OK button.

You can copy as many CHORDS and/or SCALES before you click on the "DONE" button to terminate this function.


Chord Set Name Change
Changing a Chord Set Name

Each row of the CHORD TABLE usually contains a set of Chords of the same type.

There are Sets of chords that are visible, and Sets that are not shown in the screen, but present in memory.

To change the name previously given to a Chord Set, the Set should be selected and visible.

Click in the TEXT portion of the combo box showing the Set name you want to change, then enter the new name. You have to enter the complete new name, you cannot modify an existing name just adding extra characters.

If you want to cancel the Name Change procedure without affecting the old name, use the ESC key.

The name assigned to the Chord Set, is the one used to assemble the name of the specific chord, when they are copied to the CHORD EDITOR, and as it is displayed in the lower left corner of the screen. If you want to have more than one Chord Set with a similar name, but you want to differentiate them, just type "/" proceeded by a consecutive number or another identifier. The Slash and  whatever is after it, will not be transferred to the Chord Editor as part of the chord name. For example: if you have two Sets of major chords using alternate finger positions, you could name them: M/1 and M/2. If you want to represent major  chords  just using the chord letter name, leave the first portion of the name blank: /1, /2, etc.


Chord Editor

The Chord Editor allows you  to create new Chords, or to modify existing ones. It also allows you to see Chords that require  more than 4 frets, which are displayed in the Chord Table using red squares for the string stops.

To alter a chord in the Chord Table, you will have to Copy it to the Editor. After making the proper modifications, copy it back to its original location, or to a new one.

The Chord Editor consists of the following elements:

STOPS

FINGERINGS

NOTE NUMBERS

KEYBOARD REPRESENTATION

MUSIC STAFF REPRESENTATION


Chord Editor, Stops
STOPS:

The black squares located over the guitar fretboard indicate where the strings have to be stopped. The numbers inside of each of them, indicate the finger to be used. Non Stopped strings will have its corresponding rectangle, located at the left side of the Guitar Nut.

You can only modify  location of the Stops using the Chord Editor. To do it, Drag the Stop Square to its new position. If its previous position  was behind the Nut, the Finger shown  in the Stop Square will be "?". You can modify this fingerings.


Chord Fingering
FINGERING:

When a string is played without stops (open string), the corresponding finger will be shown as "0". When the string is not to be played, the finger will be shown as an "X".

You can only modify the fingering using the Chord Editor. To do this, click with the right mouse button on the square that contains the fingering you want to modify. A dialog box will appear asking you for the new finger. Use "0" for open strings, "X" or "9" for damped strings. A number from 6 to 8 will be shown as "?", to represent an undefined Finger.


Music Staff  representation
Chord Representation using a Music Staff

This section of the Screen shows a representation of the chord currently loaded into the Chord Editor, using standard music notation. A note will be displayed for each string that is played in the chord. This graphical information is updated whenever a change is done to the chord in the editor. The Key signature used, is the one corresponding to the major scale, of the root shown in the KEY Combo Box, located at the bottom of the screen.


Clipboard

To copy a chord to the CLIPBOARD, you have to copy it to the CHORD EDITOR first. Whenever you have a chord in the editor, the OK command button located in the lower right corner of the Editor window, will copy a diagram representation of the chord in the Editor to the Clipboard.

The Chord Name to be used appears in a Text Box located in the lower left corner of the Editor Window.


Clipboard, Chord Name
Clipboard, Assigning a New Chord Name

The name to be used when transferring a chord diagram to the CLIPBOARD will be displayed in the Text Box located in the left side of the Editor window. Move the focus to it clicking the Text Box with the mouse, then modify the existing name or type a new one.


Keyboard View
Equivalent Keyboard Chord

This section of the screen shows a representation of the chord using a keyboard. The shaded key is middle  "C".

Only the strings that are played are represented by a red square. This information is updated whenever a change is done to the chord in the editor.


Playing the Chords

The visible chords, and the chord in the Editor, can be heard through the PC speaker or your MIDI equipment. To do it, just click using the right mouse button over the chord diagram. You can configure this feature to get better results.


Scales

A scale is a succession of notes in ascending or descending order.

Enjoy Your Guitar comes with a file containing 33 Scale definitions. This scales are selected using the 2 Combo Boxes located at the bottom of the Chord Editor window. The SCALE Combo Box is used to select the scale type. The KEY Combo Box is used to define the Root of the scale to be displayed.

The Scale, depending on its definition, is displayed using Colours and/or Numbers. A guide to the meaning of the colours and numbers used by a scale, is presented on the upper part of the Editor window, each one right below of column that represents the scale step, using as the root of the scale, the KEY selected in the corresponding Combo Box.

Some of the scales included in the Original.crd file use numbers for each of the scale steps. Other scale definitions use colours only. But perhaps the most useful scales, use a mix of colours and numbers. And example of this, is the definition for the MAJOR scale. This scale uses numbers to tell the user where the root, third and fifth of the chord are located throughout the fretboard. The remaining scale steps are represented with a colour. It is very easy to find all the alternative ways of getting a MAJOR chord for a selected root.


Scale Selection

To select a SCALE to display in the CHORD EDITOR, use the Combo Box located at the bottom of the screen. These scales are part of the file that also contains the chords currently in the CHORD TABLE. They can be modified using the SCALE EDITOR.

The first and last 2 options in the Combo list cannot be modified. They are:

NO_SCALE:

No scale will be shown.

FOLLOW_CHORD:

The displayed scale will have the same notes as the chord in the editor. The order of them will be dictated by the Root assigned to the chord when it was originally copied from the CHORD TABLE. This Root can be modified using the KEY COMBO BOX located at the bottom of the screen. If you alter the chord in the editor and you want the display scale to reflect those changes, re-select FOLLOW_CHORD using the SCALE COMBO BOX.


Scale Editor

The Scale Editor allows you to modify existing SCALES. Before calling this program, you have to select the scale you want to modify, using the Scale Combo Box located at the bottom of the screen.

With this program, the SCALE structure, color representation, and scale name, can be defined or modified. The scale has to be defined using "C" as the starting pitch. They will be later transposed according to the KEY selected in the KEY Combo Box.

A scale can consist of up to 9 elements. To determine what notes are part of the scale, DRAG one of the colored boxes located at the top of the form, to the key representing the note you want to add. If you want to have one or all the elements of the scale represented only with numbers and no color, use the yellow box to color that scale step.

To erase a scale step from the definition, drag the white box over the desired scale step.

Move to the lower text box using the mouse or the TAB key, and type the new name you want to assign to the scale.

When done select the OK button. If you select the CANCEL button instead, no alterations will be made to the original scale.


Key, Selection of...
Selection of Key.

To select a KEY, to use it as reference, to process the Chord and Scale information of the Chord in the Editor, use the Combo Box located at the bottom of the Editor window.


Original.Crd File

This Chords and Scales file comes in the distribution diskette(s). It contains a collection of the most commonly used chords and scales. This is a read-only file. If you want to modify it, you will have to save it with another name.


Ideas

Use this program to write songs. Assign Chord Sets to sections of the song. Copy the chords needed by that section. Review your song playing the chords through your PC speaker or MIDI instruments. Copy the chords one by one to the clipboard. Paste them to Windows Paint, write the lyrics below the chords, and finally, print it.

Use this program as a guide to write guitar solos. Use information from the scales and chords that are relevant to the song, as a departing point.

Use this program to translate your ideas from the guitar to a keyboard.


Drag, definition of...
Drag

To drag a chord or a Stopped String rectangle: Point to it, and press the mouse left button. Without releasing the mouse button, move the pointer, to the location you want to move the selected item. Release the mouse button.


Midi, Definition of...
Midi

MIDI stands for Music Instrument Digital Interface. It is a standard used by many manufacturers, to give their electronic music equipment, the capability to communicate to other instruments, sequencers and computers, which are also equipped with this interface.


Multimedia Cards

Sound Blaster or similar cards supported by Windows.


Shareware

This program is distributed using the shareware marketing system. This allows you to "try before you buy".

If you use this program beyond a reasonable evaluation period (30 days should  be enough), please register it  and support the Shareware system.

All copyrights are strictly enforceable. you can not make any changes to the program that would remove the copyright notice. It is also illegal to change the ordering information text in the program or its documentation, or to alter in any way the identity of the copyright holder.

Buying a diskette containing this Shareware program from a Shareware distributor, does not does not give you the right to use it beyond the evaluation period. If you will be using this program, you have to become a registered user.

Please read the information on How To Register found in the Menus of this program.

Thanks for your support!

ENJOY YOUR GUITAR! v1.1

(C)1993 SERGIO VILLARREAL

SUITE 231

7-981 WELLINGTON ROAD S.

LONDON ONTARIO

N6E 3A9 CANADA

Compuserve ID: 75060,2356

To register in Compuserve: GO SWREG, programID: 991


About Enjoy Your Guitar!
About

ENJOY YOUR GUITAR! ver 1.1 was designed and programmed by Sergio Villarreal. This program is Copyrighted and distributed using the Shareware marketing system.

     The program has the following features:

     a)Chord Database

     b)Scale Database

     c)Chord Designer / player

     d)Scale Designer

     e)Guitar to Keyboard chord translation

     f)Staff Notation of Guitar Chords

     g)Communication with other applications

       through the Windows Clipboard.

This is its first release. Future releases will be gradually enhanced until it becomes a complete song writing tool for guitar players.

If you are not a registered user of "Enjoy your Guitar", you can use this program to evaluate it. If you find this program useful and you want to continue using it, you have to register as a user.

After you register you will receive:

a) The latest and improved version of this program and its documentation. The identification form at the beginning of the program will ask no questions. There will be no registration form when you exit this program.

b) One FREE additional upgrade.

c) Notifications whenever there is a new release of Enjoy your Guitar or related programs.

d) Satisfaction for supporting this wonderful marketing system, that presents you with quality software at an incredible low price, and that allows you to try before you buy.

Please send me your comments. They will be helpful to make improvements to this program.

To obtain information on how to register, select the "Registration" menu option.

To register in Compuserve: GO SWREG, ProgramID: 991

For free support to registered and unregistered users:

     ENJOY COMPUTER SOFTWARE

     Sergio Villarreal

Suite 231

7-981 Wellington Road S.

     London, Ont N6G 1G4 Canada

     (519) 432-3005 night

Compuserve ID: 75060,2356


Uninstallation Instructions
Uninstall

a)	Delete all the files located in the directory assigned to Enjoy Your Guitar!

b)	Remove the EYG! directory.

c)	Remove the EYG! Program Manager Item and group.

d)	The installation program adds the files vbrun300.dll and enjoymid.dll to the Windows\System directory. Erase enjoymid.dll. vbrun300.dll is the runtime module for all programs written using Visual Basic 3.0. If you want to erase this file, make sure no other program in your installation requires it.