Demystifying the Cubase Chord Track: Essentials Made Easy

In this video I do a deep dive into the fundamentals of the Cubase chord track, so that you get a good grasp of what it is all about and are setup for understanding its more advanced features!
👍 Thanks for watching! Please like, comment, & subscribe.
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Table of Contents:
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00:00 Intro
00:15 What is the chord track?
00:30 Add chord track
00:44 Add chords
01:12 The chord editor
03:15 Listen to chords
04:24 Resolve display conflicts
04:47 Show scales and scale events
06:15 Setup musical scales
06:49 Chord track inspector
07:00 Chord voicings
10:04 Copy chord track midi to instrument
11:01 Control other tracks
13:14 Add synth track
14:54 Add bass track
15:43 Add acoustic guitar track
16:19 Add voice sample track
17:40 Outro
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#homerecording #cubase #musicproduction

[@LanewoodStudios]

Are you using the chord track in Cubase already? If so, what are you using it for?

[@micwarren21]

I basically use it as a chord sheet. I can then see it when I’m voicing orchestral parts. After viewing your video, I’ll probably use some more of it's features.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@micwarren21 yes that’s a nice basic use. So that you know which chords are in which part of the production. But it can do much more.

[@BrettRader]

Once I have all of the chords in my song, I use "Live Input - Chords" on the midi instrument that I'm programming. I can play the rhythm and arpeggios on my keyboard while the chord changes are triggered by the chord track. It's a great way to program when you're not really a keyboardist.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@BrettRader yes great way to use it.

[@bossmusicdog]

Yes please, more in depth videos on this subject!

[@LanewoodStudios]

It’s on the list 😉

[@waltertill1388]

Thanks .. after 30 years of cubase still learning! :)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes me too 🤓😁

[@limerot]

Thanks for these great easy to undestand videos, and yes - please upload more chord-track videos in Cubase. Thanks again!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks. More videos on the list 😉.

[@BleuNoirProductions]

I’m calling you the Dutch Dom Sigalas from now on. (minus the hair ofcourse) I love your straightforward, information-rich videos, every one taught me something useful! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks 😁. Definitely not comparable in hair style no 😂😉.

[@a.j.w.]

Excellent tutorial

[@LanewoodStudios]

Well thank you very much!

[@PurpleMusicProductions]

Wow this was really fantastic. I was already using chord track but you have shown me things that I was not aware of.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great!

[@ManDaKi-79]

Great😍

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍

[@DCPImages]

Excellent!!!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!!

[@Gipeamusic]

C'est très clair, merci !

[@LanewoodStudios]

Merci 👍

[@chilkaswami]

Nicely explained.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad you liked it

[@-Deena.]

Excellent! 🧡

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you.

[@meyermusic9426]

Thank you for your knowledge! I appreciate you man!

[@LanewoodStudios]

My pleasure!

[@njm20music]

Thanks for a informative video, well explained👍👍

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you!

[@GuitarLucius]

Very well done sir! Thank you.. Cheers, Lucius

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you very much!

[@arupsircar4855]

Thanks a lot for the excellent review.

[@LanewoodStudios]

My pleasure!

[@rosshumphries2669]

As always, everything I need to know.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Great!

[@RakaiBaganatha]

Thank you, that so informatif. GBU

[@LanewoodStudios]

You’re welcome!

[@patlecat]

Great explanations, thanks a lot

[@LanewoodStudios]

You’re welcome!

[@in2gadgets]

Great video, again, Maarten - sending super thanks 🙂

[@LanewoodStudios]

Ha ha …. thanks Kenny!

[@JoseFernandes-bp6rc]

Thank you for these nice tips!

[@LanewoodStudios]

🙏

[@greenoakcrystal]

Another great video. Thanks!

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍🙏

[@musicmaniac1949]

Great video. I was stuck on that little 'automatic' checkbox. It's nice to watch someone who describes functions like a 'teacher' and not a 'salesman'. Keep up the good work.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks. Great it was useful!

[@crepkey]

Thank you so much

[@LanewoodStudios]

👍

[@JoshuaMessick]

Thanks for this amazing video. So helpful.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@JosephericDsouza]

Thank you soooooooo very much

[@LanewoodStudios]

You’re so welcome!

[@rsma-rayschoolofmusicartre8247]

Great explanation ❤🙏 Thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

You’re welcome!

[@monxun]

Thank you

[@LanewoodStudios]

You're welcome!

[@danball4410]

This is a very useful tutorial. Thanks!

[@LanewoodStudios]

You're welcome!

[@ShriiDev]

Nice one.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks!

[@TheMelodicMonk]

Very helpful sir 🙏🙏

[@LanewoodStudios]

You are welcome again 😉 👍.

[@swpderf]

Thanks you for this very complete explanation of chord track options. Best course so far I have seen, and I subscribed with pleasure. I am looking forward to the following fascinating course parts. Great job.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Welcome aboard!

[@user-xr1ej8nx3s]

Bedankt

[@LanewoodStudios]

Wow jij bedankt!

[@MrPeter924]

Great video sounds great audio Great sounds music. Happy Friday

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thank you very much. Have a great Friday as well 👍.

[@trovador1]

you have wonderful tutorial thank you so much! could you dive deeper in another video? 🤟

[@LanewoodStudios]

There are some extensions to this in Cubase 13 so that might warrant a follow-up 😉.

[@fdre3wsd]

this is crazy

[@LanewoodStudios]

What is?

[@in2gadgets]

Thanks

[@LanewoodStudios]

😊😁😎

[@davidbouckley175]

Thanks very much. Another welcome and clear insight into more unknowns of Cubase (unless you read and comprehend the 1392 page manual !)

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks and yes there are a lot of those little things in Cubase.

[@mathieuraetz2041]

Its amazing to use with Melodyne :) Thank’s for the tutorial. Latest version has been improved both in terms of ergonomy and functionality.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks, I’ll need to have a look at that.

[@korkenknopfus]

Very clear explanation of the different possibilities. I personally don’t use the chord track very much, but it is occasionally very useful, for example for testing voice arrangements. Sometimes some weird things happen, though. For example, I had a track synchronized with four midi tracks in the SATB form, then I changed something and wanted to synchronize again and it didn’t work anymore and I was obliged to do all again. I don’t remember details and don’t know if it is a little buggy sometimes or if the bug is sitting between the chair and Cubase.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Thanks, and yes I also sometimes have situations in which the chord track behaves a little buggy.

[@buckycore]

I would love it if you showed how scales work with the tracks.

[@LanewoodStudios]

I’ll see if I can squeeze it into another video. But basically, any midi on the track will adapt to the scale that you have set. You can also use it when tuning with variaudio, and use that scale to limit the pitches that it uses for tuning.

[@buckycore]

@@LanewoodStudios ok, cool. So it's similar to locking in midi scale in S.O., but adjusts them like with the chord track in both applications (which is massively more powerful for my needs!!!)

[@homeofcreation]

Check the explode to tracks function. Erg handig!

[@LanewoodStudios]

Is that really what it is called, because I cannot find it :/. Groeten.

[@homeofcreation]

@@LanewoodStudios Ja echt je vindt het in het menu van de score editor, maar de aparte tracks komen in het arrangement window

[@LanewoodStudios]

@homeofcreation ik zal eens verder zoeken dan. Bedankt!

[@MartinStolzMusic]

Nice video, thank you - but: your microphone seems to be not connected - but sounds wonderful! It’s really magic! 😉

[@LanewoodStudios]

Ha ha …. I can assure you it is connected 😋.

[@MartinStolzMusic]

@@LanewoodStudios but how? I can see no cable - by the way I have the same one…

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@MartinStolzMusic the cable is on the other side.

[@MartinStolzMusic]

ahhhhh - cool!

[@comportementcanincharlevoix]

10:38 does everything apply to cubase 13 Elements? Thank you very interesting

[@LanewoodStudios]

Not sure what you mean exactly because at 10:38 is my channel ad. But the chord track should be available in all Cubase versions. See www.steinberg.net/cubase/compare-editions

[@buckycore]

I love your expression in the thumbnail. Like you know a naughty secret or something 🤣🤣🤣

[@LanewoodStudios]

Ha ha …. better check the video tomorrow then 😉😎

[@buckycore]

Yeah, the chord track was the one of the biggest selling points for me moving over from Studio One, and MAN. It's way more sophisticated and powerful compared to SO chord track. I'm learning way more stuff about it now than I have just fiddling around, as I just end using it no differently than the one in SO. This way more like Scaler 2.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@buckycore great 👍😁😎

[@micwarren21]

Informative. Learned some new settings, but your presentation was very fast for me. A lot of rewinding.

[@LanewoodStudios]

I try to keep the speed up with editing but perhaps it was a bit too fas this time. Thanks for the tip.

[@grantloud]

I've been experimenting with the Chord Track to create some backing tracks for live performance. I've also been trying to figure out a way to export the Chord Track into a chord chart, but having only limited success. I can get the chords into a score, but don't understand how to create a standard letter size layout, export as pdf and/or print. Any help would be much appreciated.

[@LanewoodStudios]

Maybe someone else can help you because I’ve never really used the scoring features of Cubase.

[@stephenrudolph1064]

I added an audio file from the media bay. When it was brought into a track , the inspector does not show a CHORD tab… maybe it’s not available in Elements 12 ?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Checkout this list: www.steinberg.net/cubase/compare-editions/ It should be available in elements 12.

[@Barczar1963]

How can I set chord track to ignore key switches? I have a piano track and the key switch changes with each chord.

[@LanewoodStudios]

What do you mean with key switches? You mean the scale that is displayed under the chords?

[@yoset4919]

I have the option of Chord only in instrument type channels. That's why I couldn't connect the audio to Cord Trek?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Yes they are very much for midi/VSTis but there is also a way to use them on audio tracks. I believe I'm showing that in this video or a follow-up maybe.

[@yoset4919]

@@LanewoodStudios Yes it really works on midi 😀, but I can't connect audio to Cord Track, Anyway I loved this guide thanks

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@yoset4919 thanks! So you cannot do what I'm demonstrating at 16:19 in this video? That's weird, what part of this is not working?

[@yoset4919]

In the inspector tab I don't have the option of Cord. (only in the audio channels) so I don't have access to do this..

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@yoset4919 so I assume you mean you only have the chord option on the midi channels and not on the audio channels? I just tried again in both Cubase 12 and 13 but I DO have the ability to enable 'Follow chord track' on both mid and audio tracks. The only thing is that you need to have some material on those tracks otherwise you cannot turn it on. It is then disabled which I guess is what you get.

[@websmoker821]

Ik heb alles correct ingesteld, maar de kliksound en de maat bar blijft een soort vertraging houden. De VST sounds komen via ( nu nog) uit het beeldscherm. De vertraging is hinderlijk omdat je nooit goed op maat kunt inspelen. Heeft iemand dit al eens meegemaakt? interessant artikel.

[@LanewoodStudios]

I think it is probably caused by latency. It should be better when you use a good audio interface with ASIO driver.

[@jonahwaltonmusic]

Tensions do not seem to be followed.

[@JuanYNhilka]

I follow the video and attempt to add chords nothing happens. What am I doing wrong?

[@LanewoodStudios]

Not sure, which step exactly does not work for you?

[@JuanYNhilka]

@@LanewoodStudios I create a chord track and then click on the track but most of the time nothing is placed on the chord track. One time I actually worked at least partially. I laid down chords but they were sized like a dotted half note. I wanted only one or two chords per measure. Any way I follow exactly what you (and other videos as well) and with the exception of my comment above nothing is placed on the chord track. I'm using Cubase 11 Elements.

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@JuanYNhilka strange, and if you do it from the chord assistant and click plus every time to move to the next chord?

[@JuanYNhilka]

@@LanewoodStudios I'll try the chord assistant out. How do you access it?

[@LanewoodStudios]

@@JuanYNhilka check this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJicmI2Bq9Cabdksi=3gfoEwaCYIlnalIw

[@Byron101_]

Cubase has the best midi and chord functions. No doubt... (former S1 and Logic user here) othere daws are only copying Cubase midi features again and again...

[@LanewoodStudios]

They have some very nice features in that department for sure.