# Sibelius (Help req with complex chord notion)



## Reactor.UK (Feb 21, 2017)

Hi,

I'm using Sibelius 7.5.1 and want to notate the chord (which shouldn't be too complex I assumed) Cm with an added 6th & 11th over a G bass

Note: Written, 'not' a chord diagram.

*Cm(6/11)/G*

Could some explain the syntax for writing it, I've yet to find how to do so.

Kind regards.


----------



## d.healey (Feb 21, 2017)

What's wrong with entering it with the mouse, or playing it on your keyboard


----------



## Reactor.UK (Feb 21, 2017)

The notes are already notated. I'm wanting to enter the chord text (which is across 3 staves) purely through the 'text > chord symbol' button.


----------



## Vik (Feb 21, 2017)

Reactor.UK said:


> Cm(6/11)/G


What about writing F9/G instead? It's the same notes.


----------



## Reactor.UK (Feb 21, 2017)

Cm(6/11)/G stays are red text and doesn't convert, whereas Cm(6/9)/G works. It's as if it doesn't like the 11th.

Yes, I could use F9/G. I'm just curious why it won't allow my preference.


----------



## Vik (Feb 21, 2017)

Reactor.UK said:


> Yes, I could use F9/G


Or even F7/G would do. Don't need to mention the G as the 9 in F7, because it is the root note as well.


----------



## Reactor.UK (Feb 22, 2017)

Vik said:


> Or even F7/G would do. Don't need to mention the G as the 9 in F7, because it is the root note as well.



I'm confused now... hehe... the notes are G Eb A C F#... I'm now beyond the scope of my alternative chord understanding. My music theory has reached it's limits, what chord should I be notating it as (in the key of C).


----------



## Vik (Feb 22, 2017)

F7 consists of F , A, C and Eb. If you play those notes, with G in the root, you will both have all the notes you initially mentioned, and you have G in the root, which is what you want. OTOH; F7/ is an unusual chord.
Cm(6/11)/G is an unusual chord as well, but "technically", it could be written by just typing F7/G 

I always insist that the voicing is more important than the chord itself. By only using chord symbols and not notation, you have no idea re. in which way a musician will play that chord. So if I use chord symbols, I sometimes add info about the voicing as well, because voicings are so different. 

Besides, Cm(6/11)/G is such an ambiguous chord. So - if you have an idea re. how you want it voiced - the best way to communicate that IMO would be to add some notation for that specific bar. 
Otherwise, you may end up with someone playing a chord which sounds very different from the version of Cm(6/11)/G you have in mind.


----------



## Luke W (Feb 22, 2017)

Since it's F# (not F), then it's Cdim7/G. It's not a Cm(6/11) - it's a #11, but there's no need to name it that way.


----------



## Vik (Feb 22, 2017)

"it's F# (not F)"
Oh, I just looked at the cord symbol, but if the notes are G Eb A C F#, it's of course not the chord described in the first post, which would have an F and not an F#. So sure, it's F#dim7/C... or Cdim7/G, Ebdim7/G or Adim7/G – depending (if one wants to be as accurate as possible) on the context. .


----------



## Reactor.UK (Feb 23, 2017)

Thank-you all for you helpful advice and information. Vik, you are 100% correct, my posts were incorrect not taking into account the F was F# (my apologies).

I'm teaching my cousin Bach's prelude in C (Ave Maria/Gounod), however, there are a couple of chords (if they are even chords, I don't know)... though the rest is relatively simple 7, maj7, diminished (and I believe a sus4).

There are a couple of chords after that which I'm unsure of.

Would it be useful for me to post the pdf, to correct and inform me of any mistakes?

I play the piano though I'm self taught both in terms of playing and theory. I'd rather not incorrectly notate the arpeggiated chords.


----------



## Vik (Feb 23, 2017)

Reactor.UK said:


> Would it be useful for me to post the pdf, to correct and inform me of any mistakes?


There's only one way to find that out - try.


----------



## Vik (Feb 25, 2017)

douggibson said:


> You only are naming a
> "classification" of the chord and not it's specific order.


True. But in many cases, where the order is important, that could be dealt with in a simple way:


----------



## Vik (Feb 25, 2017)

I'm sure you haven't seen it, because nobody is using it.  But I have used in a few cases myself, where I want to present a chord/voicing and want a special voiding - eg. to a guitar player, in a rehearsal situation where the rest of the guitar music is written as chord symbols only. In such a context, it has been very useful, and also provides all the needed info.
For general composing etc one would of course use notation - but don't forget that there are many keyboard players and guitar players who are used to read chord symbols but are poor sight readers; some of them are very talented. Also; depending on the musical style; those players would expect to get chord symbols, because they are partially hired for their ability to come up with some really good stuff based on reading chord symbols only. I remember that in my first semester of harmony classes in the 80s, there was a student which was often brought up to play through stuff we had brought to class (exercises/homework), and what that piano player played was always sound much more interesting than how most other players would have played the same row of chord symbols. So to such players, it would i lots of cases be beneficial to deliver a chord symbol version of the song - except for the bars where you know you want a special voicing.


----------



## trumpoz (Feb 25, 2017)

you could try Cmin6add11/G


----------

