Hello all,

As some of you know, I picked up an electric guitar this past Christmas and have really enjoyed playing along with all the songs that come with the WK8 because the chords are also included with the lyrics. Just this past Friday night, my neighbor came over with his Fender Strat, keyboard, guitars, and mics all into the Mackie mixer, than out to a small headphone amp. We're in nice comfy chairs, 13-inch monitor in front of us connected to the WK8. We played for hours.

But here's the big, "I wish". I wish the chords (and notes too, for that matter) could be variables inside the midi file when it comes to the notation. Variables in relation to the transpose key. If the song is done in F and I transpose down one step, I wish the chords (and notes) would follow one step down in the notation.

Why? Cause I can't sing that high! I lost count of how many times I reached for the down transpose button cause the keys the songs were written in are too high (for me). When I did transpose down, I then fumbled with chord calculation on the guitar.

Yeah, I know....I KNOW! Practice, practice, practice. Learn the chords, learn how to mentally transpose, get better, don't look for shortcuts. Right! Here's one thing I know that won't happen no matter how much I practice...This baritone ain't gonna be able to sing soprano. I need the transpose buttons.

I like technology. I would like to think that technology can help me with this. The "master key" of the song is determined right up front before the midi file begins to play (Edit song, Master Track, the very first event is KEY). All chords and notes programmed in the midi file are in a relationship with that data and the position of the Transpose keys.

And I realize that this would be a "switch-able" ability. There would be times when you wouldn't want this to happen. You're playing along with a sax player, the song is written for the key of C, sax player needs you to be down two steps but you need to see the chords and notes as they were written (in C).

Sound possible?

-mike