Systema de Cifrado 

Cifrado System

Cifrado system is a system used in Latin America to understand in a basic form complex accords without the need to understand much music.

1.- Naming of Accords with base notes

All complex accords are named using its Basic Accord name, a base note is added to indicate the base that represent the note. For example Re/Fa#. Here the Basic Accord is Re the added base (Bass) note is Fa#.

By convention everything after the backslash can be omitted so Re/Fa# can be replaced by Re. However the base name will make the unique sound needed for the song. If you find the complex accord to difficult to play replaced for the basic form or Basic Accord.

Bases or the Bass  is found in the last 3 and sometimes 4 last strings of the guitar (VI, V, IV and III). In order to check on the name of a complex accord you can start by the DO note that is play in string V (6), then you can work out the name by playing the musical scale that is DO-RE-MI-FA-SOL-LA-SI on any base string.

Base Do note

In de case of Re/Fa# the name Fa#  is because is the in intermediate note after Fa or the sharp sound of Fa. Sharp sounds are denoted by the hash symbol (#).

The following base (bass)  notes are common when naming complex accords:

          V (6)  = Do

          IV(0) = Re

          VI(0) = Mi

          VI(1) = Fa

          VI(2)  = Fa#

          VI(3) = Sol

          V(0) = La

          V(2) = Si

There will be times in which you will require to just hit one string at a respective space in the guitar, the strings are named using Roman numerals with I the first string (the sharpest) to string No. VI.  the space you hit is indicated by a decimal for example VI (2) means hit string no 6 at space No 2. Well zero is no space at all. if more spaces are needed then comas are used to indicates the other spaces eg. V (2,2,1,0, 5).

I have spend some time to make Complex Accords to match Complex accords from other Latin American composers, however I can not be sure that I have all in the correct form. However I'm trying my best. The reality is that there are no many standards in terms of naming complex accords, and you might find that the same complex accord my have different name in other texts.

The English System

The English way to write accords is the same however notes have different names but at the end they are the same creatures, and everything about is applicable.