How to Turn Off Guitar Chord Diagrams in Sibelius

Guitar Chord Diagrams are a helpful feature in music notation software like Sibelius, especially for beginners learning guitar. They visually represent guitar chords, making it easier to understand finger placements. However, for experienced guitarists or when creating lead sheets focused on chord symbols rather than shapes, these diagrams can become unnecessary and clutter the score. This article addresses a common question among Sibelius users: how to disable guitar chord diagrams from automatically appearing when entering chord symbols.

Based on a discussion among Sibelius users, there are a couple of effective methods to prevent chord diagrams from automatically generating in your scores. Let’s explore these solutions to streamline your Sibelius workflow and customize your notation experience.

Method 1: Adjusting Engraving Rules

One way to stop chord diagrams from appearing is by modifying the Engraving Rules within Sibelius. This method, suggested by experienced user Bob Zawalich, involves setting the default chord symbol display to “chord text only.” Here’s how to do it:

1. Open a new lead sheet in Sibelius.
2. Navigate to Engraving Rules. This is typically found under the “House Style” menu.
3. In the Engraving Rules dialog box, select Chord Symbols from the left-hand menu.
4. Look for an option that controls the display of chord symbols. This might be labeled something like “Chord diagram style” or similar.
5. Change the setting from displaying chord diagrams to “Chord text only”.
6. Once you’ve made this change, save this lead sheet as a Manuscript Paper. You can either replace your existing default Manuscript Paper or create a new one with a distinct name (e.g., “Lead Sheet – No Diagrams”).
7. When creating new lead sheets in Sibelius, choose this newly saved Manuscript Paper. This will ensure that chord diagrams are not automatically generated in your new scores.

This method effectively sets a template for your lead sheets, ensuring a clean look without automatic chord diagrams. However, it’s important to note that this is not a global setting.

Method 2: Modifying Instrument Definition

Another approach, highlighted by Laurence Payne, focuses on the instrument definition itself. This method is particularly useful if you consistently prefer not to see chord diagrams for guitar and want to make a more permanent change for guitar staves.

1. Go to House Style in Sibelius.
2. Select Edit Instruments.
3. In the “Edit Instruments” dialog, find your preferred guitar instrument in the list. You can modify an existing instrument or create a new one (e.g., “Guitar, No Diagrams”).
4. Within the instrument definition settings, look for an option specifically related to guitar chord diagrams. It’s likely to be labeled “Show guitar chord diagrams by default”.
5. Uncheck or disable this option.
6. If you created a new instrument, ensure you select this “no diagrams” guitar instrument when setting up your score. If you modified an existing one, this change will apply to that instrument going forward.

By modifying the instrument definition, you directly control whether chord diagrams are displayed for guitar staves, providing a more instrument-specific solution.

Handling Chord Diagrams for Other Instruments

While the original discussion primarily focuses on guitar, a user named Michael Walz raised a related question about creating chord diagrams for other instruments, specifically the Cavaquinho. This highlights that the need for chord diagrams extends beyond just guitar.

Unfortunately, based on the original discussion, there isn’t a straightforward, built-in method to automatically generate chord diagrams for instruments like the Cavaquinho in Sibelius using the “Add Chord Diagram” feature, which seems geared towards guitar diagrams. Users seeking diagrams for less common instruments might need to explore plugins or manual creation methods, potentially importing diagrams from external sources as needed, especially for unconventional or instrument-specific chord voicings.

Conclusion

Turning off automatic guitar chord diagrams in Sibelius can be achieved through either adjusting Engraving Rules or modifying the Instrument Definition. Choosing the method that best suits your workflow will help you create cleaner, more focused scores when chord diagrams are not desired. While Sibelius offers robust features for guitar notation, users working with less common instruments might find the chord diagram functionality less directly applicable and may need to explore alternative solutions for their specific needs. Understanding these settings allows you to tailor Sibelius to your specific notation preferences, enhancing your music writing experience.