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. 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. 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 before saving your file.

6. 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'.