Localised key signature names - inconsistencies

[pheldal]

Bandhelper apparently  support localised key signature names (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_signature_names_and_translations). In general settings it is possible to enable national "chord names", but the effect of that setting is inconsistent ... or maybe I'm missing something. This is what I experience:

My country (Norway), like many European countries, uses the German notation (B=H and Bb=B) for chords.

• I start without Norwegian chord-names enabled with a song in B-minor (Bm).
• Enable the Norwegian chord-names and open the same song and the app still displays a Bm, not Hm.
• Transpose up and I see Hm. Should have been C. Other chords are transposed correctly so the result is junk. The English combination of B and F# has now become B and G
• If I keep transposing up and down chords adjust properly, but the B's that initially failed to display as H's remain 1/2-step too low

It looks as if the app fails to apply the chord-translation when the song first is opened. What was an English B is then handled as a German B (eng Bb) and thus off 1/2-step.

Ideally the translation of signature names should apply transparently for the user for both input and output in all the chord-relevant fields (text with embedded chords, chords-field and the key-field for the song), and in every context that information is displayed or printed.

[arlo]

This setting doesn't change the chords that you've entered, it only tells the app how to handle the chords you've entered. So if you copy and paste a song that doesn't use German-style names but you want to use them, you will have to edit the chords yourself.

[pheldal]

This setting doesn't change the chords that you've entered, it only tells the app how to handle the chords you've entered. So if you copy and paste a song that doesn't use German-style names but you want to use them, you will have to edit the chords yourself.

So you don't support the use of both German and English chord-names at the same time? 

As a long-time user of computer-assisted audio-tools I prefer English despite having been taught the German system ages ago. Most people I play with OTOH prefer German chord-names.

[arlo]

So you don't support the use of both German and English chord-names at the same time? 

Not really. The German Chord Names setting is per-user, but if you wanted some users to have a different setting than others, then those users would have to use Personal Sync to enter their own chords.

I don't think you'd want to intermingle the two different styles of chords beyond that, otherwise you could make mistakes in playing if you think a song is showing one style but it's actually showing the other. (And the app would need a way to know which style you intend to use each time you enter some chords.)

[pheldal]

I'm all for avoiding confusion. My thoughts was to have the app always use one notation internally and for storage, but with a global per-user-setting to enable display and input in localised notation. That way there is no confusion. Each user always see all songs the way (s)he is used to.  Would be a lot of work to implement though.   

[arlo]

I'll suggest the Personal Sync fields again. In your case you'd want to put the German chords into the shared fields and the English chords into your personal fields. If you separated the chords into the Chords fields instead of intermingling them with lyrics, you wouldn't have to maintain two copies of the lyrics.