Native Instruments chords... how do you play yours?

24 July 2017

KOMPLETE KONTROL 1.8 update

Native Instruments Kontrol-S Keyboard Series provides the user with an efficient and easy to use feature in the form of Smart Play Scale Mode.  The function allows the user to play the chords at the touch of a button; particularly useful for beginners learning to play chords and time saving for the more advanced user.

 

Smart Play Scale Mode

The smart play feature was a hidden gem for music producers when it was initially released. It featured major and minor scale smart play functions, great, however, prevented more complex chord progression because of the restriction to one sequence of pitches. Now, with the addition of over 100 new modes, you have unrestricted and guided access to endless creative possibilities.

 

Native Instruments S-Series Keyboard Design

The design of the keyboard features multi-coloured LED lights which change when you switch between different scales and modes. This, in turn, is mapped to the lights to provide a visual guide on the most natural progressions in that scale. The keyboard allows you to switch between mapped mode and easy mode enabling you to create these natural chord progressions, or make use of the inversion functionality to provide even more options.

 

Modes and scales

Below is a comprehensive list of all the modes and scales you get with Komplete Kontrol-S Series Keyboards.

Before the new Kontrol 1.8 update the Komplete keyboards featured the following:

 

  • Chromatic, Major, Minor, Major Pentatonic, Harmonic Minor, Minor Pentatonic, Blues, Japanese, Phrygian Dominant (Freygish), Flamenco, Gypsy, Whole Tone, W-H Dim, H-W Dim and Altered (with variations).

 

Following the 1.8 Komplete Kontrol update the keyboards additionally feature:

  • Traditional Church modes with some extras - Ionian, Ionian b2, Dorian, Dorian b5, Lydian, Lydian b3, Aeolian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Minor Locrian, Major Locrian, Super Locrian, Phrygian Major and Harmonic Phrygian.

 

  • Jazz modes - Lydian b7, Altered Diminished, Mixolydian b9 b13, Mixolydian b13, Whole Tone, Blues Major, Blues Minor, Blues Combined, Jazz Minor, Half Diminished, Augmented, Lydian b7 b2 and Lydian #5.

 

  • World modes - Indian, Arabic, Hungarian, Persian and Jewish (With Variations).

 

  • Pentatonic variations with all the standardised inversions, as well as a variety of Japanese and Carnatic raga variations.

 

  • For producers of more simplistic and modern pop music, the Kontrol keyboard now features The Scriabin Scale, Seven Messiaen Scales (I-VII), octatonic, triton and more.

 

  • Blues scales, hexatonic scales, major modes and variations of the above.

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