Introduction

What is chordparser?

chordparser aims to provide a framework for harmonic analysis of chords. This means that chordparser can help in understanding how each chord functions and use roman numeral chord notation to describe them.

chordparser comes with the Parser, a one-stop shop for creating, manipulating and analysing musical objects. The Parser can take in chord notation to create a Chord, and analyse it against other chords or keys.

To do this, chordparser has several musical classes that serve as the foundation for analysing chords. These include Notes, Keys, Scales, Chords and Romans. Chords and Romans have been built on the other classes so they can be analysed easily.

Why chordparser?

Current songbooks and chord sheet applications can display chord sheets beautifully and even transpose the chords (though wrongly sometimes). However, these only stop there and cannot aid in analysing chord progression despite having all the chords. chordparser seeks to take a step further by allowing musicians to analyse chords in a chord sheet while reading them and deepen their understanding of the song’s chord structure.

With chordparser’s musical framework, chord structures from a basic V-I cadence to more complicated secondary chords can be analysed. Here are some examples of chords that can be analysed for: diatonic chords, mode mixture/ borrowed chords, secondary dominant chords (e.g. V/V), secondary leading tone chords.

Possible applications of chordparser include incorporating it into a songbook application or reading and analysing your own chord sheets. Check out the Tutorial on how you can do that and more.