KEYS LOCK Options in Scaler 2.6

Keys Lock is a feature that may help you play in tune. o select it click on KEYS LOCK

When selected there are five options available

  1. Scale Notes Mapped

  2. Scale Notes Only

  3. Scale White Keys

  4. Chord Notes

  5. Chord Extensions.

SCALE NOTES MAPPED

With SCALE NOTES MAPPED selected you can only play notes form the scale. In the example below the scale is D maj so you can only play notes from the D maj scale (D E F# G A B C#).

If you play a note that is not from the scale, Scaler automatically maps it to a note within the scale. Here playing F will actually play F#.

SCALE NOTES ONLY

With this option you can only play the notes from the scale. Notes that are outside the scale will not play. So for the D maj scale you can only play D E F# G A B C#. F and C are silent and are not mapped to any note.

SCALE WHITE KEYS

With this option you can only play the white keys on the keyboard. Each white key from C to B is mapped to a note in the scale. Playing the black keys produces no sound.

So for D maj

C = D

D = E

E = F#

F = G

G = A

A = B

B = C#.

CHORD NOTES

With CHORD NOTES selected playing the white key will play the notes from the chord that is selected in Section C. So if the second block in the pattern in Section C is selected (G maj 13 #11)

playing the white notes with the green line from C to B will play

G B E F# A C#.

CHORD EXTENSIONS

Selecting CHORD EXTENSIONS enable you to play the notes that extend the chord selected. In the example below I have replaced the G maj 13 (#11) with a G maj triad (G B D).

But because I have selected KEYS LOCK CHORD EXTENSIONS

the notes on the keyboard play all the notes form the extended G chord (G B D F# A C# E), so I can select which notes to play.

Finally, note the two notes F# and G# that turn green when either CHORD NOTES or CHORD EXTENSIONS is chosen.

These notes respectively mute and unmute the chord in the pattern

Hope this helps

6 Likes

thanks, now I can use the exact term with @jamieh that asked the exact name of my issue
:grinning:

Tonight I’ll read the rest deeply

I should also refer you to this video by @davide which is a Scaler 2 tutorial.

Great write up @ed66! Thanks for sharing.
It’s a great feature and is certainly worth getting to know.

your tips are strange anyway, because I was never able to play solos using the 1, 2 and 3 options :astonished:

Just the 4 option worked well, even if not always
and the 5 option worked rarely
:thinking:

Hi Claudio

I am not sure what you mean by

This is simply an attempt to clarify what these functions do, not a tip on how to use them. I think that using these options means learning how to play them and use them in a composition or improvisation and they may not work for everybody.

I didn’t explain myself well

It’s very fine that you clarify what these functions do

My intention was just to tell that only 2 of those options are usable for solos
and they are the only 2 that let you mute the Scaler output BTW
if you try to use the other for solos you’ll understand they are not doable

This is why I said “strange” but maybe that I missed something important for the other 3 options :grin:

@ed66 you opened a door, a big one!

I always thought that the options for solos were just the latter 2, due to the fact they are the only ones that allows you muting (and un-muting) the chords notes played by Scaler

but after your tutorial, I tested the others 3 options and WOW!
Using them the solos SHINE!

The only problem is that my keyboard is too little, and that some notes can overlap with Scaler chords, but the solo notes are ALL IN TUNE now!

So thanks a lot Ed

I am jamming very happily now :grinning:, but later today or tomorrow I’ll write something about

1 Like

This is the most hilarious thing I’ve seen Claudio do. Right up until the post just before this one he swore that the other methods didn’t work. If you tried them you would see. But now we see they are the best!
So funny. :rofl: Now he’s not only a Happy Jammer but he’s a Happier Jammer! Awesome!

2 Likes

You are right, but I was fooled by the fact you cannot stop che Scaler chords notes in the first 3 options: this is why I never tested them deeply

Anyway, the system is not perfect:
For example, Scaler lets you play notes that are not in tune sometimes, and most important: your notes overlap with Scaler chords, when you select certain chords that use several notes, so I hope the next release will improve this section

BTW, I still have my issue for the 2 latest options :wink:

Such an awesome feature, love it.

1 Like

Hi Ed66 and a big thank you for this helpful tutorial.

I still get confused with the numbering of the keys 123123 in Chord Notes, but that’s not a major problem.

Can I ask you a few questions please.

I can move the Bound Midi Chord Keys in Preferences.
2022-12-13_10-45-45

Is it possible to do the same with the Green Mute/UnMute keys?

When I play up the keyboard, I get a sudden change as the note drops an octave. This corrosponds to the change from light green keys, marked at the bottom of the keys, to the blue keys. Hope that makes sense.

Is there a way to move this position?

Many thanks again for your help. I’m using you tutorials all the time. :+1: