ChordPro Markup Reference

ChordPro Markup Reference

Since ChordPro seems well entrenched I’m using its methods for marking comments, the chorus, title, subtitle, etc.

This is a departure from the earlier Scriptasaurus which used the MediWiki asterisks to mark headings or section labels.

Below are the supported tags. I’ve lifted this from this excellent writeup Or Sharir’s ChordPro Format Description. Another helpful ChordPro file resource: ChordPro Song File Format Reference

Note: though it’s not required it is customary to place Title, Subtitle, Album, Artist, and chord definitions (Define) at the top of your file.

Command Description
{title:X} or {t:X} Sets the title of the song.
{subtitle:X} or {st:X} Sets the “subtitle” and is usually used for the artist or composer of the song.
{album:X} Sets the album (or movie) name. Not a “standard” CPM tag.
{artist:X} Sets the artist (composer, performer, lyricist, or just ‘artist’). Not a “standard” CPM tag.
{comment:X} or {c:X} Used to add a visible comment to the song. For example, specifying that the song should be played with a capo, or an alternative tuning.
{start_of_chorus} or {soc}
{end_of_chorus} or {eoc}		 Marks the chorus in the song
{start_of_tab} or {sot}
{end_of_tab} or {eot}		 Marks a part of the file which should be interpret as plain-text. Used mainly to add parts containing text tablature.
{define: CHORD frets 0 0 0 0 fingers 0 0 0 0} Define how to play a certain chord, either an alternate finger to the one in Scriptasaurus’s library or one not defined.

  • CHORD is the name of the chord;
  • “fret” followed by the four fret positions, beginning with “G” string. Indicate a “muted” string by using an “X” instead of a fret number (more info).
  • “fingers” (optional) followed by the corresponding fingers to use on above fret positions

Need more info? Scroll down: defining alternate chords.
{column_break} or {colb} Marks the beginning of a new column. Supports up to four columns. Columns are automatically evenly divided (if two each is half the width, three columns of one third available width, etc).
{new_page} or {np} New Page (“page break”). Won’t play nicely with columns.
# Lines beggining with # are not displayed — these are invisible comments.
{ukeGeeks-meta: ANYTEXT} Additional info such as source, a video link, original perfomer etc. Not a “standard” CPM tag.