Capo

Arrr, if ye be a guitarist, ye know th' advantages t' usin' a capo, savvy? Ye can increase th' pitch o' yer guitar t' provide dynamics between other instruments, or simply transpose out o' difficult t' play keys like D-flat. Whatever yer reason be, OnSong can adapt th' chord chart t' meet yer needs. Let's take a gander at how OnSong handles capo in regard t' transposition, matey.

Difficult Keys

OnSong be designed t' maintain th' designated key o' a song at all costs. This be important t' know because changin' th' capo o' th' song will not transpose th' song. Instead, it combines th' transposition with th' capo itself. Let's take a song written in D-flat as an example, savvy?

1. Ye have a song that be written in D-flat because yer pianist be fancy like that.
2. Ye want t' be able t' play th' song, but sadly ye don't have fingers like E.T.
3. Figurin' ye can play th' song with C chord forms instead, ye apply a capo t' yer guitar on th' first fret.
4. In OnSong, ye simply slide th' capo slider in th' Style Preferences Menu t' th' first fret so it knows where ye put yer capo.
5. OnSong now maintains th' key o' D-flat, but displays chords in th' key o' C so ye can play along with everyone else, arrr!

In this case, we didn't transpose th' song at all, but just wanted t' be able t' play th' song in th' key that it be written. OnSong modulates th' chords in th' song down t' maintain th' key—essentially reversin' th' transposition that th' capo applies.

Transposin' With Capo

Blimey, what if we want t' use th' capo slider t' transpose th' slider? What ye'll need t' do be adjust th' key and th' capo. Let's say that ye have a song in th' key o' C and want t' transpose t' D. With a capo, ye'd place th' capo on th' second fret. In OnSong, adjust th' capo from zero t' th' 2 position and then drag th' transpose slider t' th' D key.

This underscores that transposition in OnSong be one step, and then capo be applied on top o' that transposition. Th' order o' operations be:

1. Th' song be written and declared in a specific key.
2. If th' song's key be not declared, th' key be determined usin' another detection method
3. Transposition be then applied t' th' original key. If th' original key was th' key o' A and we want t' play th' song in th' key o' D, OnSong would transpose up by five (5) half steps t' bring th' song t' th' key o' D.
4. Now when we want t' play with a capo so we can play in th' key o' C. Set th' capo t' 2. OnSong then modulates th' chords that be rendered down two (2) half steps t' th' key o' C, savvy?

Togglein' Capo

Ye can also toggle th' capo on and off in th' Style Preferences Menu usin' th' power button. This be useful for playin' with or without a capo as yer needs arise, matey.

Learnin' t' Share

Since OnSong changes th' chords that appear on th' screen when capo be applied, sharin' with others may be more difficult, Avast! What if ye both need t' use th' same chord chart? In this case, ye can display both chords.

T' enable dual capo chord mode, go into Settings » Display Settings » Song Formattin' » Capo » Display Dual Chords. This can be configured t' display either th' capoed or non-capoed chord first with th' other chord bein' displayed in parenthesis, arrr!