Scaler for more "bite"

[NitPicky]

Hey there, i am using Scaler on MAC and IOS for quite some time. It’s the best plugin for music theory and “nice” sounding harmonic stuff in my opinion.

What i am struggling is how to came up with these really “cool” or “hip” sounding Chord progressions.
I am heavy into these US or UK artists like Robert Glasper, Alfa Mist, Kamaal Williams or this cool hiphop/jazz movement like Butcher Brown etc…
Influenced by Mr. Hancock in his Headhunters area, Roy Ayers…

The Jazz presets on Scaler are fantastic, some of them are exactly rip-off from Alfa Mist tunes.

But i am struggling really to come up with my owns. Sure i can search a 9/11/13th Chord and go from there but the suggester does always come up with these bland resolving suggestions. I want a bit more “bite” (hope that makes sense?).
The closest thing i found is to play with the modal interchange page and pressing around until i got something that sounds cool. But that’s only try&error… so that’s why i ask…
How is it possible to move in half steps or intervals like 3rds from one chord to the next? Can you give me some hints for the direction i want to go?

We all know and love Garageband (especially on IOS) and the Smart Keyboard feature is absolutely amazing when you change from Triads to extended Chords in the settings. You can come up so quickly with really cool stuff when you use different bass or 5th notes on various chords.
The downfall is you can’t export midi on Garageband. :-/

Is there a function in Scaler which can do this also:
Playing the Root/5th Notes from other Chords with the selected chords?

Thanks in advance, all the best!

[ed66]

Hi @NitPicky

Welcome to the forum. Scvaler has a number of functions that may help you with this:
On the MAIN page if you click on the TRIADS" button in Section B you will get a drop down menu, which will enable you to add 7ths, 9ths, 11ths or 13th chords.

Then click on the SUGGEST button

to open a dialogue giving suggested chords for the next block.

A second approach would be to use the CHORD page to edit and add chords.

The tutorial Searching for Chord Variations and Extensions may help you with these approaches.

[NitPicky]

Hi Ed66, thanks for your friendly welcome!

I know this stuff already. But as i wrote the suggestions were not always super exiting though they are technically correct. But i fully understand that the software provides more of a classical way to resolve chords. The music i am into has a lot of non diatonic chords, substitutions, chromatic chord movement etc…

I played a little bit around this day and discovered a cool little trick for IOS Garageband users:
you can record Midi data with Scaler as a Plugin direct in GB. How cool is that
Load a Smartkeyboard, record something and make a new track with Scaler Lite2. Then move the recorded Smartkeyboard track into the Scaler track and hit “detect” in Scaler. From there you can save it or send it with Audiobus outside of GB.

[NitPicky]

Ah, before i forgot:

When i am in Key Lock Mode and Chord Extensions: is it possible to move the allowed Notes (green ones) down so i can play them as bass notes?
On the MAC platform its possible, but can’t find it on IOS. They are always higher then the actual chord notes.