How is this type of chord progression notation called?
In France, a lot of guitar/bass (pop/jazz) musicians use a graphical way of representing a songs chord progression.
It is called the "grid" ( translation of "grille"?) of a song.
It looks like this (source):
Edit:
Each square stands for a bar (usually 4 beats but can also be 3 beats), with the chord you are supposed to play inside it (second line, first square: Dm7).
When a square is split in two (say, first line, first bar), it means you have 2 beats on Am, and 2 beats on Bdim.
It is useful in the sense that it gives in a concise way the chord progression, bar by bar, for musicians that don't need/want the melody.
A french-language Wikipedia page describes this.
Questions: is this type of notation used elsewhere in the world? How do you (would you) call it?
As you can see, the linked english-language wikipedia page is quite different.
I have checked also on Wikipedia's musical notation page, this notation does not seem to be mentioned.
Before editing that page, I would like to have some feedback from others.
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It's sometimes used by jazz musicians in the UK. OK if you know the song. Not terribly helpful if you don't. I've been handed this sort of thing by a vocalist, who then expected me, on keyboard, to play a suitable introduction... I think they forget how many gigs these days are unrehearsed, pick up affairs with many of the musicians reading. We're very adaptable, but HELP us!
There's another strange thing jazzers sometimes do - a lead sheet with chord symbols in concert pitch, melody transposed for Bb instrument (Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Trumpet).
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