What Is the ChordPro Format and How Do You Use It?
ChordPro is a plain-text file format for writing lyrics with chords, plus a reference implementation that turns those files into formatted lead sheets and songbooks. You write songs in any text editor using simple bracket notation, then render them to PDF or another output. It suits guitarists and other musicians who want clean, printable chord charts without a full notation program. The format and the reference implementation are free products, though the project asks for donations to cover hosting costs.
What a ChordPro File Is
A ChordPro file is a text file — the site notes that "any text editor can be used to create and maintain them." The format was developed in 1992 by Martin Leclerc and Mario Dorion, who built a tool called chord to process files they called chord files. Users and tools later adopted the name "chordpro" for the files, and that name stuck.
The core idea: lyrics are typed as normal text, and chords are placed inline where they should appear above the words. Because it is plain text, files are portable, diff-friendly, and readable without special software.
Basic Syntax
Chords in brackets
Put a chord in square brackets immediately before the syllable it belongs to:
[C]This is the [G]way we [Am]write a [F]song
When rendered, each chord sits above the point in the lyric where it was placed. This is the single most important rule to learn.
Directive lines
Lines that start with a curly brace are directives — instructions to the renderer rather than content to display. Typical uses include song metadata and formatting control. For example, a title directive marks the song title, and comment directives add notes that are not part of the lyric line.
The exact set of directives is large; the reference implementation's documentation is the authoritative list, and the site describes the format as "simple by nature" while the reference implementation itself "has very powerful features."
Rendering to Lead Sheets and Songbooks
The workflow is: write or edit the text file, then run it through a ChordPro processor to produce output. The official site highlights "powerful PDF creation" and the ability to "turn your ChordPro formatted songs into beautiful looking songbooks."
A practical sequence:
- Create the song as a plain-text file with a
.cho,.crd, or.chordpro-style extension (the site listschopro,cho, andcrdamong its keywords). - Add chord brackets and any directives you need.
- Process the file with the reference implementation or another compatible tool.
- Check the rendered output — chord placement above lyrics is the thing most likely to need adjustment.
- For a songbook, combine multiple song files and render them together.
The site does not publish a step-by-step command reference in the material available here, so consult the reference implementation's own documentation for exact invocation and options.
Beyond Basic Chords
ChordPro is not limited to simple C-F-G charts on a standard-tuned six-string guitar. The site lists several extended capabilities:
| Feature | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Markup | Change how lyrics and other text are displayed |
| Custom tunings and notes | Alternative tunings; note naming such as C D E, Do Re Mi, Nashville, or Roman numerals |
| ABC support | Include fragments of musical scores directly |
Although the format was "initially intended for guitarists," the site states it "can be used for all kinds of musical purposes," and it "became a popular way to write lead sheets" with many tools adopting the format.
Where to Get It and Who Maintains It
Since 2015, a small team of volunteer users has maintained the ChordPro standard, taking over from Leclerc and Dorion. That team developed a new reference implementation with added features and "an easy to use graphical application."
Everything is Open Source, and the project welcomes contributions via GitHub. The standard and reference implementation are free products — the site describes them as "free as in speech" — but it also notes that websites, storage, and bandwidth cost money and invites donations through PayPal or a "buy a coffee" option.
When to Use ChordPro
Choose it if you want:
- Chord-and-lyric lead sheets you can write in any text editor
- A format many existing tools already read
- PDF output and multi-song songbooks from the same source files
- Extras like alternate tunings, note-naming systems, and embedded score fragments
It is less suited to full standard notation or audio production — for those, use a dedicated notation or DAW tool. For text-based chord charts that print cleanly, ChordPro is a well-established, widely supported choice.