Chord Sheets

Chordbaby has a very advanced chord sheet parser. It automatically detects and highlights (colorizes) chords, sections, and lyrics from your raw chord sheet text, making it easy to distinguish each part and making your music more visually appealing. This advanced system helps you quickly identify different elements of your music, streamlining both practice and performance.

Chord Block Parser

The most advanced feature of the Chordbaby Chordsheet Parser is the Chord Block Parser. It separates chord sheets into blocks. Each block has a chord and an optional lyric portion. It uses the exact position of the chords above the lyrics to separate lyrics into chord sections. The Chord Block Parser enables users to create complex stylings and colorizations.

chordbaby chord blocks

Editing Chord Sheets

To edit a song’s chord sheet, click the Chord Sheet Edit button in the Edit Section.

💡

Tip

On desktop screens, the Edit Section is at the top right of the page. On mobile screens, open the Editing & Chords menu from the action buttons to access it.

Chord Sheet Structure

There are different chord sheet styles. Chordbaby introduces several standards. Below is an example of a chord sheet that Chordbaby can easily recognize.


[intro]
E A:5 E A:5
E A:5 E A:5
E A:5 B A:5
E A:5 E A:5
E A:5 B A:5
 
[verse 1]
E            A:5                   E
Today is the day that I wanna tell you
A:5
Things that I've been going through
E         A:5              E
I did not eat and couldn't sleep tonight
   A:5
To write this song to you
 
[bridge 1]
C#m      A:5               B
When you are walking by my side
B7
I can't breathe enough
C#m          A:5             B     B7
And when you talk to me, all I can hear

Sections

Any line enclosed in square brackets creates a section. Some people prefer to use repetition markers like [intro x2] or [solo x3] to indicate the number of times a section is repeated. Additionally, try to separate sections with a blank line.


[intro]
...
 
[verse 1]
...
 
[chorus 1]
...
 
[chorus 1]
...
 
[outro]
...

💡

Tip

Do not use repetition markers if you plan to synchronize the chords with music. It is better to repeat the section manually and create a linear progression that matches the music.

Chords & Lyrics

We use the “chords above the lyrics” style. Chords should be placed directly above the word (or syllable) in the lyrics where they are played. Chordbaby will not understand chords if they are on the same line as the lyrics.

💡

Tip

Chords and lyrics cannot be on the same line.

Chords without lyrics are also valid, as in intro sections. The space between the chords does not make a difference. If you want to specify the duration of the chords, please check the Chord Dots section.