ChordPro Studio Help

Welcome to ChordPro Studio, a professional tool for creating, styling, and exporting songsheets in ChordPro format.

1. The Editor

The editor uses the standard ChordPro format. Chords are placed in square brackets [ ] within the lyrics.

{title: Hallelujah}
{subtitle: Leonard Cohen}

[C]I heard there was a [Am]secret chord
That [C]David played and it [Am]pleased the Lord
But [F]you don't really [G]care for music, [C]do you? [G]

Common directives include:

{title: Name} - Song title
{subtitle: Artist} - Artist name
{comment: Text} - General comments or instructions
{start_of_chorus} / {soc} - Marks the beginning of a chorus
{end_of_chorus} / {eoc} - Marks the end of a chorus

2. Measure Bars

You can insert vertical measure bars (bar lines) that span across both the chord and lyric lines. Use the pipe character | inside square brackets:

[| C]Every [| G]breath you [| Am]take
[|]Every [| F]move you [| G]make

The | character is automatically removed from the chord display, leaving only the vertical line and the chord name (if provided).

3. Style & Layout

Use the top navigation bar to customize the look of your songsheet:

Line Spacing: Adjust the vertical space between lines.
Fonts: Choose different fonts for Title, Artist, Lyrics, Chords, and Comments.
Sizes & Colors: Change the font size and color for each element individually.
Chorus Styling: Toggle indentation and vertical lines for chorus blocks.

3. Strumming Pattern Editor

Located in the left sidebar, this tool helps you visualize rhythm:

Select a Time Signature (4/4, 3/4, or 6/8).
Click on the slots to toggle Downstrokes (↓), Upstrokes (↑), or empty beats.
Adjust BPM and Scale to change the size and speed metadata.
Click "Insert Pattern" to add the directive to your song.

4. Chord Diagram Editor

Create custom chord diagrams if a chord isn't in the built-in library:

Enter the Chord Name.
Click on the fretboard grid to place fingers (dots).
Specify Barre frets if needed.
Click "Define" to add the custom chord to your song.

5. Sheet Music (ABC Notation)

ChordPro Studio supports standard ABC Notation for sheet music. Blocks of ABC code are automatically rendered into high-quality musical scores.

Editor: Use the "Sheet Music" section in the left sidebar to write ABC code.
Live Preview: See your score update in real-time as you type.
Spacing: Use the "Sheet Music Spacing" slider in the Style & Layout menu to adjust vertical gaps (from -50px to 100px).
PDF Export: Scores are rendered as high-quality vectors in your final PDF.

6. TAB Creator

Create professional guitar and bass tablature with the standalone TAB Creator:

String Count: Choose between 4 to 8 strings with automatic tuning labels.
Interactive Grid: Click cells to cycle fret numbers (0-24) or right-click to clear.
Bar Lines: Add vertical bar lines to structure your TAB.
Scaling: Use the slider to proportionally resize the graphical preview (up to 5x).
Export: Download your TAB as high-quality SVG or PNG images, or copy the ChordPro text.

7. ABC Transposer

A specialized tool for shifting the pitch of your ABC notation while maintaining musical integrity:

Step-by-Step Transposition: Shift your music up or down by semitones with a single click.
Intelligent Key Handling: The tool automatically updates the K: field and manages accidentals so they only appear when necessary, keeping your score clean.
Live Editing: Paste your ABC code and edit it directly in the input field. The preview and transposition update instantly.
Automatic Reset: Pasting new content into the input field automatically resets the transposition to 0, allowing for a fresh start.
Clipboard Support: Quickly copy the transposed ABC code back to your main songsheet.

8. PDF Export

When you're ready, click the "PDF Export" button in the header. You can choose between a Single Column or Two Column layout. The export engine automatically optimizes page breaks to prevent blocks from overlapping.

9. Keyboard Shortcuts

Quickly insert common chords while typing. We recommend using Alt + [Letter] to avoid conflicts with standard browser shortcuts (like Ctrl+C for copy):

Alt + A: [A]
Alt + B: [B]
Alt + C: [C]
Alt + D: [D]
Alt + E: [E]
Alt + F: [F]
Alt + G: [G]

The cursor is placed inside the brackets after the letter, so you can immediately add modifiers like 'm' or '7'.