User Chords

Even though iShred has over 1,900 built-in chords to choose from, you might have a special chord you want to play that isn't in its library. No problem! "User Chords" let you program any possible combination of string frets, even those that are not playable by mere mortals with stubby fingers!

A User Chord is a named set of fret numbers. For each string, the fret can be set to any number from 0 (open) to 22, or "X." Any string set to "X" sounds like a muted string when played. The User Chord can have any name, but the first two words of the name are used as the button label, so careful User Chord naming can help make your song's buttons easier to understand.

Selecting User Chords

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You can set a button to any User Chord when you're editing a song. (See the Song Editing chapter for details.) Tap the button you want to represent a User Chord and then rotate the left wheel to the "User" setting. The wheels will transform to show you a list of existing User Chord names. If "Chord String Labels" are enabled on the Settings screen, then either the fret number or note name for each string of the selected User Chord will be shown. (Since the iShred app doesn't know what the roots of your User Chords are, if you select "Scale Degree" for the Chord String Label on the Settings screen, the app will show a User Chord's note name instead.) You can strum or tap the strings to hear the User Chord. Flick the right wheel up or down to select different User Chords for that button.

Creating User Chords

There are two ways to create User Chords:

1. While editing a song, you can move the left wheel to "User," tap the Song Menu button (in the lower right), and then select the "New User Chord" button.

2. While editing a song, select a Chord button, tap the Song Menu button and select the "Clone as User Chord" button.

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In both cases you will get a new user chord called simply "New Chord," but in the first case all the strings are set to "0" (open), while in the second case all the strings replicate the fret settings of the original chord. This is particularly useful if you want to create a minor modification of an existing chord.

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You can now edit the fret numbers for each string by spinning its associated wheel. You can (and probably should) rename the User Chord. To do this, just tap on the chord name and a keyboard will appear that lets you modify the chord's name. You can use the backspace key to delete characters, and can hold your finger on the large display of the name to get the cursor to be inserted in the middle of the name via the iPhone's "magnifying glass" interface. Hit the keyboard's "Done" button when you are finished renaming the chord.

The keyboard that is used for editing chord names does not have musical symbols on it. If you want to use a sharp, natural, or flat sign in your User Chord name, type in ".s." for a sharp, ".n." for a natural, or ".f." for a flat. After you hit "Done" these abbreviations will be translated into real musical symbols in the name.

A good user chord name might be "Faug7 Invert for Sally's Song" since the first two words of the name are short and descriptive. A much worse name would be "An Extremely Weird Chord" since a large "An" and a very small abbreviated "Extremely" would be all that appears on the button.

When you are done editing the chord, tap the Song Menu button in the lower left and select the "Save New User Chord" button. If you've created a mess and do not want to save it, select the "Discard Chord and Exit" button instead.

Editing and Deleting User Chords

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You can edit and delete existing User Chords. To access them you must first be editing a song and have a User Chord selected. Then tap the Song Menu button and select "Edit User Chord" or "Delete User Chord." Editing a User Chord uses the same interface for fret selection per string and renaming as described above for creating new User Chords. If you select "Delete User Chord" a dialog will appear asking you if you really want to delete it. Note that, when deleted, it is deleted from all songs, not just the current song.