Songs

Overview

Songs are your chord charts and rehearsal notes. They live in your library so they stay consistent across devices and collaborators — no more emailing text files back and forth or wondering which version is current.

Each song has:

• A chart written in ChordPro notation
• Arrangements for different keys, capos, or performance contexts
• Recording links to YouTube or other sources
• Practice tools like tempo and metronome

Writing charts with ChordPro

ChordPro is a simple way to write chord charts that keeps chords aligned with lyrics without fighting with spacing. You type chords in square brackets, and they render cleanly above the lyrics.

Here's a quick example:

{t:Amazing Grace}
{key:G}

[G]Amazing [G7]grace how [C]sweet the [G]sound
That [G]saved a [Em]wretch like [Am]me [D7]

The basics you'll use most often:

• [C], [Am], [F] — chords go in square brackets
• {t:Title} — sets the song title
• {key:G} — sets the key signature

For a complete reference of all supported syntax, see the ChordPro syntax reference.

Arrangements

Arrangements let you keep one chart but have different settings for different situations. Think of them as "presets" for how you'll play the song.

Why use multiple arrangements?

You might want:

• Different keys for different vocalists
• Capo positions for guitar vs playing in the original key
• Different tempos for rehearsal vs performance

Instead of duplicating the chart and keeping two copies in sync, arrangements let you attach different settings to the same chart.

What's stored per arrangement?

Each arrangement can have its own:

• Key — the key you're actually playing in
• Capo — capo position (if any)
• Tempo — BPM for the metronome
• Time signature — for rhythm reference

Practical example

Say you're learning a song originally in Eb, but your singer prefers it in D. You could have:

• Arrangement 1 (Original): Key = Eb, no capo — for learning from the recording
• Arrangement 2 (For vocals): Key = D, Capo = 1 — for playing with your singer

Both arrangements share the same chart, so if you fix a typo or add a bridge, it updates everywhere.

Switching arrangements

When you open a song, you'll see the current arrangement in the header. Click it to switch between arrangements or create new ones.

Transpose

Sometimes you need to change keys on the fly. Akordo supports two ways to transpose:

Global transpose

Change the key for the entire song by editing the arrangement settings. This shifts all chords uniformly.

Inline transpose

For songs that modulate mid-way (like a key change in the final chorus), use the inline transpose directive:

CHORUS
[C]Here we [F]are [G]now

TRANSPOSE KEY +2

CHORUS (key change)
[D]Here we [G]are [A]now

The TRANSPOSE KEY +2 directive shifts everything after it up 2 semitones. Use negative numbers to go down (e.g., TRANSPOSE KEY -3).

These shifts are cumulative, so you can have multiple key changes throughout a song.

Recording links

Attach YouTube links to your songs so you can quickly reference the original recording during rehearsal.

Adding a recording

1. Open a song and find the Recordings section
2. Paste a YouTube URL
3. Akordo automatically fetches the video title so you can see what it is at a glance

You can add multiple recordings — useful if you have the studio version, a live performance, and a tutorial you like to reference.

During rehearsal

Click any recording to open it. Great for:

• Checking the original feel before running through
• Nailing a specific riff or fill
• Comparing your tempo to the recording

Version history

Every time you save changes to a song, Akordo keeps a snapshot of the previous version. This means you can experiment freely and always roll back if something goes wrong.

Viewing history

Open the version timeline to see when changes were made and what was different. Each entry shows:

• When the change was saved
• A summary of what changed

Restoring a previous version

Found a better chord progression in last week's version? You can restore any previous version with one click. The restore creates a new version, so you can always undo it.

When versions are saved

Versions are saved automatically whenever you save edits to a chart. You don't need to do anything special — it just works.

Practice tools

Songs include built-in practice tools so you can rehearse directly from the chart without switching to another app.

Metronome

The metronome syncs with your arrangement's tempo. Click play to start it — it counts in the time signature you've set.

If you haven't set a tempo yet, the metronome defaults to 120 BPM.

Adjusting tempo

Need to practice something slow before speeding it up? Use the tempo controls to:

• Slow down for difficult passages
• Gradually increase as you improve
• Match the tempo of your arrangement

The tempo you set stays with the arrangement, so next time you open the song, it remembers.

Sharing with your band

Songs live in your personal library by default, but sharing with your band makes rehearsals smoother. Everyone sees the same chart, same arrangement, same version — no more "wait, which PDF are we using?"

Groups

Create a group for your band and move songs into it. Group members can:

• View all group songs
• Edit charts (with the right permissions)
• Add their own arrangements

See Groups + invites for the full rundown.

PDF export

Need paper copies for a gig? Export any song as a clean PDF. The export includes:

• Song title and metadata
• The chart with chords rendered cleanly
• Key, tempo, and capo from the current arrangement

See PDF export for details.

Next steps

• ChordPro syntax reference — all the syntax options
• Setlists — organize songs for rehearsal and gigs
• Groups — share with your band