Chord Charts and Key Transposition

TimelyChurch includes a full-featured chord chart editor built around the ChordPro format. You can write chord charts with inline chord notation, transpose to any key instantly, convert to Nashville Numbers, and export to PDF -- all from within your browser.

Accessing the Chord Chart Editor

There are several ways to open the Chord Chart Editor for a song:

• From the Song Library, hover over a song card and click the music note icon, or click the music note icon in the table view's Actions column.
• From a song's detail page, click the Chord Chart button in the header.

Editor Layout

The Chord Chart Editor is split into two panes:

• Left pane: ChordPro Editor -- A text editor where you type or paste your chord chart content using ChordPro notation.
• Right pane: Live Preview -- Shows a formatted, real-time rendering of your chord chart as it will appear to viewers.

Above both panes is a Toolbar with key selection, transpose controls, arrangement selection, and view mode toggles.

ChordPro Format

ChordPro is a simple notation system that places chord names in square brackets inline with lyrics. The editor will render chords above the corresponding words.

Basic Syntax

[G]Amazing [G/B]grace, how [C]sweet the [G]sound
That [G]saved a [Em]wretch like [D]me

Section Markers

Use square brackets with section names to create labeled sections:

[Verse 1]
[G]Amazing grace, how [C]sweet the [G]sound

[Chorus]
[G]I once was [G/B]lost, but [C]now I'm [G]found

Metadata Directives

Use curly braces for song metadata:

{title: Amazing Grace}
{key: G}

Supported Chord Formats

• Simple chords: [G], [Am], [F#m]
• Slash chords: [G/B], [C/E]
• Extended chords: [Cmaj7], [Am7], [Dsus4]
• Flat and sharp: [Bb], [F#], [Ebm]

Quick Reference (shown below the editor)

• [G] -- Chord placed above the next word
• [Verse 1] -- Section marker
• {key: G} -- Set the song key
• [G/B] -- Slash chord (G over B)

Key Selection and Transposition

Selecting a Key

Use the Key dropdown in the toolbar to select the current key. All 12 major keys and 12 minor keys are available:

Major Keys: C, C#/Db, D, Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb, B

Minor Keys: Cm, C#m, Dm, Ebm, Em, Fm, F#m, Gm, Abm, Am, Bbm, Bm

When you change the key selection, the chord chart is automatically transposed to the new key.

Quick Transpose Buttons

Use the -1 and +1 buttons to transpose the chart down or up by one semitone at a time. This is useful for quickly finding the right key for your vocalist's range.

Capo Suggestions

When you transpose to certain keys, the system will display capo suggestions -- for example, "Capo 2 and play in open G shapes" for the key of A. These suggestions appear alongside the transposed chart, both in the editor and in shared-song views. They are calculated automatically from the target key (not user-defined). They are intended as guitar-friendly hints; they will not appear for every key.

Arrangement Selection

If a song has multiple arrangements, a dropdown appears in the toolbar allowing you to switch between them. Each arrangement can have its own chord chart content and key. Selecting "Default (Song)" loads the chord chart stored on the song itself.

View Modes

The toolbar provides three view mode buttons:

• Chords -- Shows the full chord chart with chords displayed above the lyrics (default).
• Nashville -- Converts all chords to Nashville Number notation relative to the current key. This is ideal for musicians who read numbers instead of chord names.
• Lyrics Only -- Hides all chords and shows only the lyrics text. Useful for vocalists or projection.

Nashville Number System

The Nashville Number System replaces chord letter names with numbers representing scale degrees. For example, in the key of G:

To convert your chord chart to Nashville Numbers:

1. Make sure the correct key is selected.
2. Click the Nashville view mode button.

The preview pane will update to show numbers instead of chord names.

Saving Your Chord Chart

Click the Save button in the top-right corner. The chord chart content is saved to the currently selected arrangement (or to the song itself if no arrangement is selected).

You will see a brief "Saving..." indicator followed by a success confirmation.

Exporting to PDF

Click the PDF dropdown button in the toolbar header. Three export options are available:

• Chord Chart (Current Key) -- Exports the full chord chart in the currently selected key.
• Lyrics Only -- Exports a lyrics-only version without chords.
• Nashville Numbers -- Exports the chart with Nashville Number notation.

PDF Layout

The PDF dropdown does not include any on-screen layout controls -- choosing one of the three options generates the file directly. Every chord-chart PDF is produced with a fixed layout:

• Page Size -- US Letter.
• Orientation -- Portrait.
• Columns -- Single column.
• Font Size -- Standard (set for readable print output).

The Chord Chart (Current Key) option uses whatever key is currently selected in the toolbar, so transpose to the key you want before exporting.

PDF Preview

Click Open PDF Preview at the top of the preview pane to open a PDF preview in a new browser tab before downloading. The preview opens in a separate browser tab and displays the PDF inline (no file download). When you pick one of the options in the PDF dropdown, the file is generated and your browser saves it.

The PDF is produced instantly in three output modes: standard chord chart, lyrics-only, and Nashville numbers. There is no waiting for processing.

To use the chord-chart editor you need to be signed in, and the whole songs area (including the chord-chart editor) is available only when the Songs module is enabled for your church.

Validation

The editor automatically validates your ChordPro content and displays any errors or warnings below the editor:

• Errors -- Issues that will cause problems with rendering (e.g., unclosed brackets).
• Warnings -- Suggestions for improvement (e.g., missing key directive).

Tips for Writing Good Chord Charts

1. Always set the key -- Include a {key: G} directive or select the key in the dropdown so transposition works correctly.
2. Use section markers -- Label every section (Verse 1, Chorus, Bridge, etc.) to make the chart easy to follow.
3. Place chords precisely -- Put the chord bracket immediately before the syllable where the chord change occurs.
4. Use slash chords for bass lines -- Notation like [G/B] helps bass players follow the intended bass movement.
5. Keep it consistent -- Use the same chord naming convention throughout (e.g., always use "Bb" rather than mixing "Bb" and "A#").

Related Articles

• Song Library
• Service Orders (Service Plans)
• Worship Team View