AppLink Apps
Suggester : Chords and Scales
Suggester is a powerful app designed for writing songs and chord progressions. Its main function is to help users find chords that work well together, allowing them to create musical phrases that evoke emotion through tension and release. The app utilizes roman numeral notation and offers a wide range of features to enhance the songwriting process.
Users can simply touch a chord to hear how it sounds and press the play button to listen to the chord progression sequentially. The playback speed can be adjusted to suit individual preferences.
There are two different approaches that users can take when using Suggester. They can work forward by selecting a scale and building their song from the suggested chords provided by the app. This is a quick and efficient way to assemble compatible chords. Alternatively, users can work backward by selecting a set of chords they like from the catalog. The app will then provide information on which scales match those chords. Once a scale is chosen, the app can suggest additional chords that fit well with the ones previously selected, making it particularly useful for jam sessions.
Suggester offers a wide variety of chords and scales to choose from in its extensive catalog. Users can also create their own custom scales and chords to further expand their musical possibilities. In addition, the app allows users to borrow chords from parallel scales and explore new territories through modulation.
The app provides several convenient features for arranging chords. Users can use the drag and drop function to reorder chords, and chords can be dragged directly from the suggestions to any position in the progression. The duration of each chord can be easily adjusted by tapping the note button on the left, and unwanted chords can be deleted by swiping them from right to left.
Suggester also offers various options for exporting songs, including audio, MIDI, and text formats. Additionally, all sounds generated by the app can be sent to the MIDI output, allowing users to route the notes to other apps, external MIDI ports, or remote computers through MIDI Network Session.
The app supports MIDI input, allowing users to trigger chords using external MIDI devices. It also supports drag and drop functionality with other compatible apps, such as ChordPadX.
For synchronization with other apps, Suggester offers Ableton Link, which helps users align their tempo with other musical applications.
Users have the option to choose between English notation (C, D, E) and fixed-do notation (do, re, mi) based on their preference.
It's important to note that while the app offers a free version, some features may be locked. To unlock full productivity, users can purchase a Full Unlock or a Feature Pack, which only needs to be bought once for all iOS devices. The macOS version is sold separately.
Suggester offers a range of instruments, including piano, electric piano, vintage electric piano, organ, strings, and guitar.
The app encompasses various chromatic harmony devices, such as secondary dominant chords, secondary leading-tone chords, tritone substitution, Neapolitan chord, augmented sixth chords (Italian, French, German), borrowed chords, and modulation.
With regard to scale types, Suggester provides options including major, natural minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, harmonic minor, harmonic major, jazz minor, minor blues, major blues, Prometheus, augmented, diminished, Neapolitan major and minor, Persian, double harmonic major, altered dominant, pentatonic major and minor, and many more.
Furthermore, the app offers a wide variety of chord types, ranging from major and minor triads to power chords, dominant 7th, minor 7th, major 7th, minor major seventh, half-diminished seventh, 9th, minor 9th, major 9th, minor major 9th, diminished, augmented, suspended 2nd and 4th, dominant eleventh, minor eleventh, major eleventh, dominant thirteenth, minor thirteenth, major thirteenth, and beyond.
Additional features of Suggester include compatibility with AudioUnit Extensions (Music Instrument and MIDI Processor), support for Ableton Link, Dark Mode, drag and drop functionality between apps, and multitasking support on iPad.