Original songs can be posted here and look 'all purdy like'.
Properly formatted songs are much easier to read and can also be printed directly from the forum. Formatting in chordpro style takes only a moment once you learn the trick!
***How to Post a Formatted Song***
Instructions for how to post an original song to the chordie.com Songwriting Forum.
PLEASE POST ORIGINAL MATERIAL ONLY. Copyright laws must not be violated!
1. Type your original song in 'chordpro' format (see below).
It is best to do this task off-line in a word processor, notepad, or text-editing file.
The file format or font will not matter. Single-spaced text is best.
2. Save your file, and check it for errors.
Verify that the lyric is correct and that the chords are properly placed within the lyric
3. Log into the chordie forum, go the Songwriting section, and select 'New Topic' (upper-right corner).
It is best if each song appears within its own thread so that people can view and comment on the song easily.
4. Name the new topic thread using your song's title.
5. In the message section, you may want to begin your post with a brief comment about the song.
6. Now, 'copy' and 'paste' your song into the message body from your saved file.
7. The message MUST have these tags for chordie's 'formatting voodoo' to operate:
[ s o n g ] * WITHOUT THE EXTRA SPACES!*
at the beginning before the {t:title} line
[ / s o n g ] * WITHOUT THE EXTRA SPACES!*
at the ending after the last line of the lyric
*I had to put in the spaces so that the voodoo wouldn't work here!*
NOTE: must use the 'straight brackets' here (not the 'curly brackets').
(Simply type these tags in after the song is pasted into the message.)
8. Finally, simple click the 'Submit' button.
Should there be a need to edit your posting:
Simply click the 'Edit' button, make your changes, and then 'Submit' again.
CHORDPRO format
This format allows chordie.com to apply the beautiful rendering of the songs so that the lyrics and chords look 'all purdy like'.
Commands are enclosed within 'curly brackets'; {command} .
Chords (and the 'song', '/song') are enclosed within 'straight brackets'; [C] .
Once you get used to using chordpro, it is a very simple trick. Here is what it looks like:
{t:Twinkle Twinkle Little Star} <<<< Title line
{st:Traditional Lullaby} <<<< Subtitle line (2018 upgrade this should be artistes name)
{c:tenderly, in 4/4 time} <<<< Comment line
[G]Twinkle twinkle [C]little [G]star, <<<< Lyrcs & chords
[C]How I [G]wonder [D]what you [G]are.
[G]Up a-[C]bove the [G]world so [D]high,
[G]Like a [C]diamond [G]in the [D]sky.
[G]Twinkle twinkle [C]little [G]star,
[C]How I [G]wonder [D]what you [C]are.
Further rendering refinements are also possible using these additional commands:
{soc} 'start of chorus' yields italicized and indented lyric
{eoc} 'end of chorus' turns off the italicize/indent format
{sob} 'start of bridge' yields indented lyric
{eob} 'end of bridge' turns off the indent format
Some Tips:
Chords at the beginning of a word will appear directly above the first letter of the word ([C]little).
Chord changes in the middle of words are shown most clearly if you put a hyphen before the chord (a-[C]bove).
Here is an example of a chordie-formatted song:
[G]Twinkle twinkle [C]little [G]star,
[C]How I [G]wonder [D]what you [G]are.
[G]Up a-[C]bove the [G]world so [D]high,
[G]Like a [C]diamond [G]in the [D]sky.
[G]Twinkle twinkle [C]little [G]star,
[C]How I [G]wonder [D]what you [C]are.
