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Chord Clock Help

How to use the McNally Chord Clock, for Strumstick, Guitar, any Instrument!

Change chords from one key to another, in 10 seconds. No music theory required.

Point and Play!

Free Printable Chord Clock to download Here

Free Online Chord Clock Here

Physical Chord Clocks for sale here

Chord Clock for Capo Positions on Guitar. 

How to use the Chord Clock Video (for Strumstick, but works the same for Guitar etc.)

You can even use the Chord Clock right on your Computer:

 

This Chord Clock face shows the 10 most common chords in 12 different keys. if you put your cursor on one Group and point to another group with a finger, the chords in the Finger group are in the same relationship to each other as the chords in the Cursor  group.

Example:  You have a song you found in a book or on the internet with a lot of F, C, Bb chords, maybe some Dm chords. Looking at the diagram chord groups, key of F (on right side) has those chords in it, in fact they are top row and second row chords. Song is most likely in Key of F. 

Put your Cursor on the F group. Now point with your Finger to the D group on top. See how D is in the same relative position as F is? And  G in the D group is in the same position as the Bb in the F group?

We can "transpose" the Key of F chords (F, C, Bb, Dm) to Key of D chords by comparing positions, and come up with D, A, G, Bm

F = D
C = A
Bb = G
Dm = Bm

So you can play the song by using D where song said F, and Bm where song said Dm, etc. Transposing means changing the chords in one key to the equivalent ( same relationship) chords in another key.

This is like how the Free Chord Clock works, it has moveable pointers instead of Finger and Cursor, but it works exactly the same way.

Chord Clock for Capo Positions on Guitar:
Capo use on guitar involves two usual scenarios

Scenario One is, "I have song chords in certain Key X ; what key Y will I be in if I use those same chords with capo at some fret number? Example: "Song is in Key of G. If I use G choeds with Capo at third fret to suit my voice better, What Key am I playing in?" (Answer is Bb)

Scenario Number Two is, you are using certain chords capoed up, and want to know the actual key.You are using familiar chords in Key of X, capoed at the 2nd fret, what Key am I actually playing in? ec Key or D chords capo 2, you are in Key of E

Scenario Number Three is, You have Chords in Key X, what capo fret fret will keep me in that key while using more familiar chords in Key Y, 
Example Song is in key of F, and that suits my voice. I would rather use Key of C or key of D chords to play the song. Where should I capo? Answer is, C chords capo 5th fret, or D chords Capo Third Fret.

Look at the Chord Clock face:

If you have chords and want other chords same key.
Lets say the Chords you have are in key of C#, using chords C#, F# and Ab.
Find the C# Group.
Count clockwise 1 Group, you get Key of D:  D,G,A chords.
Therefore, Capo at 1st fret, Use key of D chords D,G and A, the actual key will be C#

Or from C# group, count clockwise 6 groups, to key of G: G,D,A chords.
Therefore, capo at 6th fret, use key of G chords D,G,A. Actual key is C#

If you are using certain chords capoed up, and want to know the actual key:
If you want to play using key of G chords G,Em,F,C,Em, but you have found you need to capo 3 frets higher to suit your voice, what Key are you in? (So you can tell the bass player and keyboard player.)
Find the G group. Count clockwise 3 groups to Bb group. Tell the other musicians you are playing in Bb, and the Chords are Bb,Gm,Ab,Eb,Gm

If you have song chords in certain Key and use those exact chords capoed up, what key am I in? Lets say song is in E, chords E,A,B. if you capo at 2nd fret, count 2 groups clockwise from E group to F# group, that is the key you are in while using E chords capo 2
A little more complex: 
Lets say song chords are  Em, C, G, D, Em. You will see those chords are in the G group. we can call it key of Eminor, instead of key of G major.
Why? If you look at the little oval diagram below center  on the clock face you will see what are called Relative Chord Names. The 6minor chord underneath the 1 chord (the tonic chord) is also called the Relative Minor. The relative minor key (Eminor) shares the same notes with the G Major key (1), and the Relative minor Chord of G is Em.
Both keys, G and Em, use the chords in the G group.  Therefore in this case, we locate Em as the 6m chord in the G group, and  so we are using the G group. If we capoed that up 5 frets, we would count clockwise 5 groups and arrive at the C group. The relative minor of C (the 6minor) is Am, so we are now playing in key of Aminor, using chords Am,F,C,G,Am. 

The real distinction between a major key and a minor key is the spaces between the notes that make each type of key. minor keys (and minor chords sound dark, ominous, mysterious. Major keys (and major chords) sound brighter, cheerier, and certain. Poeple can argue over the comparisons, but they do sound different.

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