I can’t seem to find this chord anywhere and it definitely isn’t detected. Example: C Eb G# Bb.
Hi @alindsay55661,
Yes, it’s possible, but it will not be currently named as such by Scaler.
If you look closely to the base triad of the chord you a spelling:
This triad is indeed an inversion of an Ab major chord: Ab C Eb, here the G# is, in that case, an Ab so if you add the Bb to this chord, the second in the Ab major scale it gives you an Ab major chord with an added second called the 9th in the upper extension that’s why this chord is named an Ab Maj add 9.
If you listen carefully to this chord, it has a major sounding even when voiced C Eb G# Bb, that’s also why the Maj add 9 is the preferred naming in Scaler. This Ab Maj add 9 inversion shares all notes from a C min7(#5) chord but implies a bass note on the raised fifth (flat sixth), the G#/Ab. If you want to have the bass note to be a C you can activate the slash chord naming from Scaler settings but this chord will still not be called a C min7(#5) but an Ab Maj add 9 / C which is not what you want either. In Scaler this chord can also be named an Eb 6(sus4) following the inversion and implying an Eb root to it. All those namings are inversions between each other and are valid.
In the current version of Scaler, you can only name it from one of those two namings. We will definitely add some missing naming in the short term but at some point, we may cover all those other enharmonic missing inversions naming and allow users to choose the naming that better suit their needs. That’s not an easy task and we are currently discussing it internally. That’s why currently you can technically play a C min7(#5) but not name it with your preferred naming.
Hope that helps you,
Cheers,
Paul
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this is relevant to a new feature request I’m about to post.
It would be good to in future give us the choice to use typical - eg jazz - type nomenclature for chords like this: namely m7b5 OR half diminished ( which the circle symbol with line through it. )
Also - as someone who wants to use the MIDI generation and “chorder” aspects of SCALER - and who happens to be trained in chord-scale stuff - I find a lot of the screen space often given up to chord-scale theory just clutters up things- so will raise an FR to hide stuff I ( many ) just don’t need/use often
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Great, thanks for letting me know.