ChordMaps21.50 - App Store

ChordMaps2 is a music app for iPad which allows musicians, songwriters, music educators, and students to explore and improvise chord progressions, melody lines, and bass lines, in both major and minor keys, most of the time tapping with just one or two fingers.

The most powerful feature of ChordMaps2 is that users can explore and play common chord progressions by touching chord locations on "Musical Maps."

You can work with ChordMaps2 as a...

Songwriter - to explore melody lines, bass lines, and chord progressions when you are away from your guitar or keyboard.

Music Educator - to demonstrate principles of music theory, (including major and minor scales, diatonic and secondary chords, common chord progressions like IV-V-I, ii-V-I, I-vi-IV-V, I-V-vi-IV, etc.) You can also create spontaneous ear-training exercises, and explore melodic lines and chord progressions with students in an interactive environment.

MIDI Musician - to tap out chord sequences and hear them played by one or more of the synth apps on your iPad, or you can send the MIDI information out through a MIDI interface to a computer running a digital audio workstation (DAW) like GarageBand or Logic Pro.

How ChordMaps2 Works...

ChordMaps2 is a MIDI controller. It works by being paired with a synthesizer app that generates sound. (Example synth apps include ThumbJam, SampleTank, bs-16i, iM1, and many more.) ChordMaps2 sends the MIDI signal; the synth app responds to the MIDI information and creates the audio.

Video demonstrations of ChordMaps2 are found at the website. (Click the Developer Website link or visit Mugglinworks.com/ChordMaps2).

Version History Behind the scenes code maintenance update for recent operating systems, and a small UI improvement. 1.50 Sep 15 This update adds the ability to quickly ZOOM in and out of the ChordMap Region, making it easier to play chord progressions. (When zooming in while in Portrait mode, part of the bass keyboard is visible. When zooming in while in Landscape mode, the replay areas to the right of the ChordMap Region are visible.)

On the Info screen, the internal values for minimum and maximum MIDI note velocities (which were preset before) can now be adjusted. Also, for demonstration purposes, adding blue circles on screen to indicate finger touches is an option. 1.40 12/15/2024 This update adds a new option—"Editable Chords and Progressions."

Now you can create your own collections of chords and choose exactly which notes you would like to use in each chord. This also allows you to create the voice leading you are looking for as you move from chord to chord.

Each "Page" you create can hold up to 45 different chords. There are 32 pages available. (Pages can also be saved to the Files folder and loaded back later, so you are not limited to 32 pages. You can design as many as you like.)

IMPORTANT: Please download the pdf called "UnderstandingTheChordMaps2Screen." You can find this pdf at the Developer Website link or by visiting ChordMaps2.com. (The explanation for "Editable Chords and Progressions" begins on Page 10.) 1.30 01/26/2023 Updated to work correctly on the new iPad mini (6th generation). 1.20 11/17/2021 Fixed a settings issue which kept updates from opening on some devices.

Also behind the scenes - the arpeggio feature is more energy efficient. 1.19 02/27/2021 Found a bug which may have kept the app from opening on some devices after the 1.17 update.

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The 1.17 update added a basic arpeggiator -- (1) Set the Tempo. (2) Select 4/4 or 3/4. (3) Select the MIDI channel - "B&C" for the bass and chord channels or "ARP" for the Arpeggio Sound channel (4) Choose B for a bass note pattern, C for a chord note pattern, BC1 or BC2 for patterns that use both bass and chord notes. (5) Select a pattern (1 to 24). Enable "PLAY ARP." The next chord location touched will play as an arpeggio. (The pattern can be changed to another pattern while the arpeggio is playing.)

Also fixed a strumming situation (sliding sideways on two strings at the same time was causing notes to be triggered again).

Playing Suggestion: Strumming works well when the Chordmap region is set to play only the bass note, and the strum area is used to strum or fingerpick the chord notes. First, the left hand touches the chord location, triggering the bass note. Then the right hand answers by tapping or sliding on the strum area. 1.18 02/20/2021 Added a basic arpeggiator -- (1) Set the Tempo. (2) Select 4/4 or 3/4. (3) Select the MIDI channel - "B&C" for the bass and chord channels or "ARP" for the Arpeggio Sound channel (4) Choose B for a bass note pattern, C for a chord note pattern, BC1 or BC2 for patterns that use both bass and chord notes. (5) Select a pattern (1 to 24). Enable "PLAY ARP." The next chord location touched will play as an arpeggio. (The pattern can be changed to another pattern while the arpeggio is playing.)

Also fixed a strumming situation (sliding sideways on two strings at the same time was causing notes to be triggered again).

Playing Suggestion: Strumming works well when the Chordmap region is set to play only the bass note, and the strum area is used to strum or fingerpick the chord notes. First, the left hand touches the chord location, triggering the bass note. Then the right hand answers by tapping or sliding on the strum area. 1.17 02/16/2021 This update provides a "Strumming Option" when playing chords, allowing for simple strumming and fingerpicking.

This adds an interesting playing technique to ChordMaps2.

Suggestion: Set the chord locations to play only the bass note. After playing the chord location (bass note) with your left hand, play strummed chords or finger style patterns by sliding or tapping on the strum area with your right hand. 1.16 09/13/2020 A user requested a "Basic Triads" version of Map 8 (without sevenths added to the secondary chords.) This would allow, for example, playing a D chord as a basic three-note chord while exploring chord progressions in the key of C. The new Basic Triads section in Map 8 includes both major and minor implementations. 1.15 08/30/2020 UI update – the user interface now displays correctly on all iPad screen sizes. 1.12 06/14/2020 Fixed visual display elements - When moving from map to map, some of the backgrounds were loading incorrectly.
Fixed visual display elements - Some of the smaller display elements were not locating correctly when the device was rotated. 1.11 12/09/2016 Landscape mode has been added. 1.1 11/22/2016 1.0 04/25/2016