I will love You in the
morning when I rise
I will love You in the
morning when I rise
When the sunrise rides
the eastern skies
I will love You in the
morning when I rise
I will sing my song of
praise when day is done
I will sing my song of
praise when day is done
At the evening setting
of the sun
I will sing my song of
praise when day is done
I will love You in the
night-time when I dream
I will love You in the
night-time when I dream
When the moonlight paints
a mystic scene
I will love You in the
night-time when I dream
Songwriters
Music Educators
Music Students
Churches
Worship Leaders
Anyone in a Band
Vocalists
Homeschool Groups
Little Kids
What should I do?
First, download the free
version and try it.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
A Music Tool for Everyone...
Do you have a song in you?
Music can be like fireworks, shining light in all directions. Have there been times when a song has meant a lot to you?
Have you ever wanted to write a song?
Almost everyone's thought about it. The idea that you can express your love, your wonder or your prayers in music is a beautiful thought.
Then comes the challenge.
What if I don't play a chordal instrument, like piano or guitar? Is there a way for me to explore chords and chord progressions?
Yes, here's a songwriting tool for you!
To explore chords and how they sound, all you have to do is move a mouse around and click. You may be surprised how much music you can make with a mouse.
Take a look at this map. This is what your computer screen will look like when you are working with the program.
Each blue-colored box has multiple zones in it When you click on them, your computer will play chords, using sounds from your soundcard. The name of the chord is then displayed in the top right corner.
Would you like to see it?
This short movie demonstrates the program...
A word for educators and musicians... (Each chord in the short video clip above can be played in more than one way, called inversions. These inversions are mapped out across the blue boxes from left to right. Also, the progressions were played in the key of C, but any other major key can be selected at the bottom of the screen.)
A word about performance... (The sound quality depends on the MIDI soundfont you have on your computer. Also, the way your computer handles MIDI requests affects how fast the computer responds. On our home computer, which runs Windows XP, the response is fast. Some of my friends have computers which experience a short delay, called latency, whenever the mouse is clicked or a key is typed.)
Why are Roman numerals on the map?
In classical music theory, chords are named with Roman numerals. The I chord, seen at the bottom of the map is "home." That's where many songs start and end.
From the I chord you can jump anywhere you like. After that, you are free to jump again. There are also arrows suggesting places you might try next.
The idea is to work your way back toward home... then jump again. You can leave home and come back many times in one song.
What are the computer requirements?
The program is designed to work on PC's running Windows.
Is there a way I can test it?
Yes, there is a free demo version you can download now. Here's how.
First, would you like to be on our email list?
Would you like to know when new programs or updates are added to Chordmaps.com? Just type your email address into the box and click "Submit." Next time you check your email, you'll find a message asking you to confirm your choice to be included. Then click on the confirmation link in the email.
Thank you. (We do not sell or rent email names or addresses.)
Second, agree with our license agreement.
By using our software, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions in the license agreement which is included in the download package. The license agreement is a typical one. Mostly it relates to these four ideas, all words beginning with S.
* Please don't "Send" this software out... for example, from your web site.
* Please don't "Sell" the software... either alone or in combination with other things.
* Please don't "Steal" the software... by reverse engineering or any other method.
* Please don't "Sue" anyone for any reason relating to this software or how it performs.
1 - Download and save the file on your computer.
2 - Unzip the file.
3 - Find the mouse icon in the folder and double-click on it.
(Be sure your computer's volume is on. If you don't hear anything, check to see that your computer is set up to play MIDI files.)
I've tried the free version. What's next?
Version 0.25
The next version, Version 0.25, plays in all of the major keys
The bass note boxes, the ones with the varied shades of brown, can play one note or four different notes (or even twenty different notes if you like walking from bass note to bass note, sometimes playing notes a half or whole step away from the chord notes.)
There are some variations now. First inversions have been added to the lower right of some of the blue boxes and sus4 chords are in the upper right.
A visual keyboard displays the notes being played when the "Watch" option is selected.
Power chords (no third in the chord) have been added (see the smaller boxes in the middle of the map.)
The arrow keys play the individual notes in the chord. The typing keyboard on your computer now plays drum sounds. The screen looks like this.
How did this come about?
It started years ago when I was teaching piano to young students.
While teaching young students, I wondered how to make the principles of chord progression theory easy enough for them to understand. I decided to draw a map, with a house on it, which I called "home," and little roads going to various places. I wrote short songs demonstrating some of the "trips" you could take to leave home (the I chord) and then come back.
One variation of those early maps became what I call the "Simple Map." Time went by, and one day it came to me that secondary chords could be added, creating the "Big Map."
When the web came along, the maps were redrawn and shared at a site called Music Theory for Songwriters (Chordmaps.com.) But though helpful, the maps were not interactive. What if you could point to a location and hear the chord being played?
In February, 2008, after discovering a program called Liberty Basic, the maps began to sing.
So the next question was how to share it.
I woke up one night and an idea came...
"Share Wherever"
It's a little like shareware, but with a twist.
For a Single User, the program is just under $12... actually $11.95.
But the price drops very quickly if you will "share it" by buying the program as a gift for others, and then email it to them.
Here are the categories.
"My Family and Me" - $14.95
Put it on all the computers in your home. (designed to work on PC's running Windows)
"My Family, My Friends and Me" - $18.95
Put it on all the computers in your home, and then email the package to up to 15 friends.
For example, if you play in a band, you may buy it and send it to all the others as a gift.
"My Family, My Students and Me" - $24.95
If you are a private teacher with more than 15 students, then this package may be for you.
You have permission to email the program as a gift to all your guitar, piano, vocal, trumpet,
flute, percussion, or music theory students, etc.
"The Thirty-Five Package" - $34.95
Besides your family, email the package as a gift to up to 35 people... a choir maybe, or
a youth group.
"The Fifty Package" - $50
For groups of 35 to 50 people... a high school band maybe, or a concert choir.
"The Seventy-Five Package" - $75
For groups of 50 to 150 people... maybe an entire homeschool group.
"Large Groups" - 50 cents per person
Perhaps you are part of a church with an attendance of 500. You have permission to email
the program as a gift to everyone in your church for 50 cents a person ($250).
Why share it this way?
There are a number of reasons...
1 - To encourage giving. It's good for us to think of others. Giving is one of the ways to flow good will into the lives of people all around.
2 - I work a lot with kids, and this program will benefit them, both as an educational tool, and as a musical tool. "Share Wherever" provides a way for kids everywhere to receive it.
3 - "Yours To Play It!" will have a much deeper impact when groups of friends receive it together. As they play the maps, sharing with each other what they discover, as well as the songs they will write when the tool is in their hands, the fun and the learning will both be richer.
4 - I'm especially encouraging churches and youth groups to try this, because it's a strong thought that someday every congregation will be singing songs of praise written by people there. Then, all around the world, original worship music will be rising up from cities, villages and towns, and no two places will be the same.
(If a church or youth group would like to try this, a member of the worship team can demonstrate the program using the church's video projection system. After seeing how the map works, the congregation or group can then receive the program by email or download it themselves.)
You're on the "Honor" system.
Have you ever been in a place where something was for sale, but instead of a cash register, there was a basket? This site is a little like that.
The download link is at the bottom of this page. On your way there you'll see the payment section. We're asking you to be honest and participate at the level which is best for you.
Offering something this way may be unusual, but I have confidence that what we give is never really lost, and the good that we share with others always returns multiplied..
Would you like to be part of "Share Wherever?"
Here's how...
1 - First, please join our mailing list.
We mentioned this further up the page. Here's a place to sign up if you haven't yet.
Thank you. (We do not sell or rent email names or addresses.)
2 - Accept our license agreement.
By using our software, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms and conditions in the license agreement which is included in the download package. You may read it here if you like.
When buying for a group, you may wish to check with someone first, a secretary or an administrator, to ask if anyone has already made the purchase.
4 - Choose the package you like.
Exact numbers are not necessary... estimates are fine... and you may add packages together as needed to reach the desired number.
5 - Come back to this page after checkout.
Thank you for sharing this program with the ones you have chosen. The download link is on this page, so be sure to come back here when you are ready to download the program.
"Share Wherever" Possibilities
Thank you for considering the people you know and love, and purchasing this program for them. It is my hope that this tool will encourage a lot of people to see what happens when they explore music and songwriting. Thank you for helping to spread the joy and the fun!* Listed below are a few "Add to Cart" links for various group sizes.
* The exact number of users is not necessary... estimates are fine.
* You may add packages together as needed.
* Quantities can be changed (or removed) after they are added to the cart.
* The secure checkout process is handled by PayPal. You do not have to be a member. You can pay with a credit card without joining Paypal. Just look for the line that says, "Don't have a PayPal account?" and click on "Continue."
* (For New Jersey residents, 7% sales tax is added at checkout.)
* Remember to return to this page after checking out. The download link is located at the bottom of this page.
Single User $11.95
My Family and Me $14.95
(put this program on the other computers in your home)
My Family, My Friends and Me $18.95
(share the program with up to 15 friends... i.e. your band, or your worship team)
My Family, My Students and Me $24.95
(share this program with your private music students or with groups of up to 25 people)
The Thirty-Five Package $34.95
(share this program with groups of up to 35 people)
The Fifty Package $50
(share this program with groups of 35 to 50 people)
The Seventy-Five Package $75
(share this program with groups of 50 to 150 people)
Larger Groups - for each 200 users $100
(share this program with large groups for 50 cents per person)
Thank You! Your Participation Helps!
Thank you for reaching out to people by purchasing and sharing this music tool with them.
Here's the download link.
* Download the file.
* Unzip it.
* Read the "Read Me" file first. It has some important suggestions.
* Look for and double click on the mouse icon.
* Email the zipped file to the friends you were thinking of when you decided to share.
