ChordPro is a plain-text format for songs with chords embedded directly in the lyrics. One file works in any editor, imports cleanly into songbook apps, and exports to stage-ready PDFs — without fighting word-processor alignment.
The core idea
Chords sit in square brackets before the syllable they belong to. Directives in curly braces add metadata, section labels, comments, bar grids, and print layout. Songbook Buddy reads the same source for live preview, theater mode, and PDF export.
[G]Hello darkness, my old [C]friend
Essential directives
These are the directives musicians reach for most often in Songbook Buddy. Short aliases (like {t:} for {title:}) work too — see the full reference linked below.
Syntax
What it does
{title: …} / {t:}
Song title — shown in the preview header and PDF title block.
{artist: …} / {a:}
Artist or band name in the header.
{key: …} / {k:}
Musical key — appears as a meta chip; transposes with the song.
{capo: N}
Capo fret — pairs with the capo slider; shapes reflect capo position.
{tempo: N} · {time: 4/4}
BPM and time signature — meta chips for rehearsal and print.
{comment: …} / {c:}
Performance note or instruction block (normal weight).
{comment_italic: …} / {ci:}
Italic comment — cues like “slow build” or “repeat 2×”.
{start_of_verse} … {end_of_verse}
Verse section — optional label; short forms {sov} / {eov}.
{start_of_chorus: Label} … {end_of_chorus}
Chorus section — custom label after the colon; {soc} / {eoc}.
[Chord]
Inline chord placed on the next word or syllable — core ChordPro syntax.
[(Chord)]
Optional chord — visible cue, transposes like a normal chord.
{start_of_grid} … {end_of_grid}
Bar grid for rhythm charts — | Am | G | . | cells per measure.
{np} · {cb}
Page break and column break — take effect in PDF export, not on-screen scroll.
{chord: Am}
Inline chord diagram drawn in the lyric flow at that spot.
ChordPro source examples
These examples show the portable ChordPro source only. Real Songbook Buddy screen and PDF output varies with your app layout, font, page, and export settings.
Example 1 — Verse & chorus with metadata
A typical singer-songwriter chart: title and key in the header, a performance comment, then verse and chorus sections with inline [chords].
ChordPro source
{title: Morning Light}
{artist: Jane Doe}
{key: G}
{capo: 2}
{comment: Fingerpicking — capo shapes shown below.}
{start_of_verse}
[G]Walking by the [C]riverside at [G]dawn
[Em]Coffee in my [Am]hand, the [D]night is [G]gone
{end_of_verse}
{start_of_chorus: Chorus}
[C]Morning [G]light on [Em]open [Am]water
[C]Carry [G]me through [D]one more [G]day
{end_of_chorus}
Example 2 — Band chart with grid and page break
A rehearsal chart for the whole band: tempo and time signature, a chord grid for the intro, chorus lyrics, then {np} as a portable page-break directive.
ChordPro source
{title: Band Chart — 4/4 Groove}
{key: Am}
{tempo: 92}
{time: 4/4}
{comment_italic: Intro — drums build 4 bars}
{start_of_grid}
| Am | G | F | E |
| Am | . | . | . |
{end_of_grid}
{chorus}
[Am]Hold the [G]line, don't [F]let it [E]fade
[Am]We play it [G]live — no [F]masquer[E]ade
{np}
{start_of_block: Outro vamp}
[Am] [G] [F] [E]
{end_of_block}
Why musicians use ChordPro
Plain text — edit anywhere, version-control friendly, no lock-in
Chords align automatically above the right syllables
Sections, comments, and bar grids structure complex arrangements
One file imports into Songbook Buddy, OnSong, and other apps
Transpose, capo, and print/PDF from the same source
Edit ChordPro on the left; formatted chords and lyrics appear on the right as you type.
Using ChordPro with Songbook Buddy
Import existing .cho / .chopro files or folders, edit with live split-pane preview, transpose for your voice, and export PDFs for the gig. The built-in insert catalog adds sections and directives without memorising syntax.
