Ultimate Guitar Chord Trainer: Configuration

Contents

1. Fretboard
Here, the guitar fretboard is represented. The low E string is on the bottom, the high E string is on the top. There are 18 frets, but you'll rarely use any fret above the 15th.

2. Start
Clicking this button starts UGCT picking and displaying chords. You may also use the CMD-S shortcut, or select "Start" from the Practice menu.

3. Stop
Clicking this button stops UGCT when it is picking and displaying chords. You may also use the CMD-P shortcut, or select "Stop" from the Practice menu.

4. Use Midi
When checked, UGCT will attempt to initialize your soundcard in order to playback MIDI notes. When unchecked, UGCT will produce no sound.

5. Midi Instruments
Choose which instrument with which UGCT should playback notes.

6. Volume
Adjust the volume (really velocity) with which UGCT plays back notes. Higher values mean a louder volume.

7. Tune
Clicking on the radio buttons causes UGCT to play an open string for tuning purposes.

8. Chord Display
After choosing a chord, UGCT displays:

  1. The name of the chord you are to play (e.g. A7)
  2. Which chord tone is on the bottom string. This will help you to spell the chord correctly. (e.g. R on Bottom => Play the root on the lowest string). In "Reverse Hints" order (more later), you'll see the highest chord tone displayed here.
  3. On which string to play the lowest note.

9. Chord Tone Display
Represents how to play the chord.

10. Legend
The chord tones are color coded to help you recognize which chord tones represent what chord intervals. E.g. yellow always represents the 5th.

11. Chord Flavors
Choose what kinds of chords UGCT will pick. Note that in the trial version this option is disabled and that only dominant 7th chords will be available.

12. Strings
UGCT can pick chords which have their lowest note on the 6th, 5th, or 4th strings. These are the most common chord voicings for the guitar. The voicings based on the 6th string are called "drop 3" chords. Voicings based on the 5th and 4th strings are called "drop 2" chords.

13. Inversions
Choose from which inversions UGCT can pick. "Root" inversion have the root of the chord in the bass note. 1st inversions have the 3rd in the bass note. 2cd inversions have the 5th in the bass note. 3rd inversions have the 7th in the bass note.

14. Roots/Naturals
Choose from which roots UGCT can pick. E.g. if the "naturals" button is clicked, UGCT will pick from only the natural keys (i.e. C,D,E,F,G,A,B). Note that in the trial version, only chords with a root of "C" will be available.

15. Chord Tones
Normally, UGCT will play all four chord tones in a given chord. You can limit the number of chord tones so that UGCT will play so-called "shell-voicings."

16. Reverse Hints
When Reverse-Hints is clicked, UGCT will display chord tones in reverse order. This is useful when you want to learn which chord tones are in the top voicings as opposed to the bottom voicings. This is also useful when creating chord melody arrangements. This option is disabled in the trial version.

17. Pick Flats
Choose how often UGCT picks flat keys as opposed to sharp keys when an accidental is chosen. Flat keys are far more common than sharp keys (the sharp keys are more of a theory exercize than anything else).

18. Change Chord Every
How often UGCT changes chords. When set to 10 seconds, for example. UGCT will pick a new chord , wait 10 seconds, display the chord tones, choose a new chord, wait 10 seconds, display the chord tones, and so on.

19. Update Hint Every
Choose how fast UGCT should display the chord tones. When set to 2, for example, the chord tones will be displayed every 2 seconds.

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