Poll: Chord sheet preferences

Where do you prefer your chords?

  • Above the lyrics.

    Votes: 39 81.3%
  • In line with the lyrics.

    Votes: 9 18.8%

  • Total voters
    48
I like in line but I just use the nashville number system, 1, 4, 5 instead ofwriting chord names. That way no matter what instrument I am using or key we are going to pkay in I can use it easily.
 
Oh dear Lord just the chord name please ie...... C or F or G etc. and ONLY!!!!! above the lyrics. You get the feeling this might be a pet peeve of mine :p
What you are asking for is (or should be) the standard for notation. I can understand your peeve. I would go further and ask for a proper lead sheet.


I use ChordPro format too. I prefer Above the lyrics style, but I do not often convert them to above the lyrics style. I use them without conversion. Because we can edit and print very easily with text editors.
A sensible position.


I voted 'Above' but what I really want is:
  • Melody line
  • Lyrics below the melody line
  • Chord names above the melody line
  • Chord diagrams somewhere on the same sheet, usually below the song title
This is the right answer! Lead sheet format, with a chord cheat sheet married to the lead sheet. I wish all online tabs were written like this.


I like in line but I just use the nashville number system, 1, 4, 5 instead ofwriting chord names. That way no matter what instrument I am using or key we are going to pkay in I can use it easily.
This is convenient for more advanced musicians, but might be difficult for beginners.


I think what we have here is a mess instigated by the lack of an easy and accessible standard for musical notation online, exacerbated by a war between folks attempting to cram musical notation into plaintext, and amplified by the preferences of those who did not have the benefit of learning with properly formatted lead sheets.

No easy solutions here, but I must say the state of online song "tabs" is quite disappointing. Most of the time, the chords aren't even correct.
 
MopMan, I have not seen many online uke tabs. There are quite a few for guitar and 5 string banjo, but most uke songs are just chords and lyrics, although BobHost did post a tab here for Rainbow Connection.

I do agree that many online chord progressions are not very good. I prefer to make my own using the chord progressions I like and in the key that's most comfortable.

Below is a sample of how I write them out. I try to include the songwriter's name(s). I hate to see a song credited to someone who happens to have sung it, while the composer's name is left out. YouTube is notorious for this.

It's Only A Paper Moon E.Y. Harburg, Billy Rose & Harold Arlen

(C) Say, it’s (C#dim) only a (Dm) paper(G7) moon (Dm)
Sailing (G7) over a (C) card(G7)board (C) sea
(Gm) But it (C7) wouldn’t be (F) make be(D7)lieve
If (G7) you believed in (C) me. (G7)

(C) Yes, it’s (C#dim) only a (Dm) canvas (G7) sky (Dm)
Hanging (G7) over a (C) mu(G7)slin (C) tree
(Gm) But it (C7) wouldn’t be (F) make be(D7)lieve
If (G7) you believed in (C) me. (C7)

With(F)out (F#dim) your (C) love, (C6)
It’s a (Dm) honky(G7)tonk pa(C)rade. (C7)
With(F)out (F#dim) your (C) love, (C6)
It’s a (Em) melody (A7) played in a (Dm) penny at(G7)cade.

(C) It’s a (C#dim) Barnum and (Dm) Bailey (G7) world, (Dm)
Just as (G7) phony as (C) it (G7) can (C) be
(Gm) But it (C7) wouldn’t be (F) make be(D7)lieve
If (G7) you believed, if (G#7) you believed,
If (G7) you believed in (C) me. (G7) (C)
 
@MopMan
The way the word "tab" made it's way into descriptions of chord/lyrics sheets and lead sheets, I suggest you read the recent "Tablature" thread. Most things posted on webpages intended for tabs does not have any tabs on them.

I also prefer proper lead sheets with the melody line, but beggars can't be choosers. They are readily available if you are willing to pay for them. There are copyright holders and people doing the graphics, who need to earn a buck. When browsing user uploaded free material, you have to make do.
 
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I do agree that many online chord progressions are not very good. I prefer to make my own using the chord progressions I like and in the key that's most comfortable.

Below is a sample of how I write them out. I try to include the songwriter's name(s). I hate to see a song credited to someone who happens to have sung it, while the composer's name is left out. YouTube is notorious for this.
I also have taken to making my own transcriptions of things, and like you I always make sure to credit the songwriter(s) at the top even though I know I'm probably the only one who will ever see them.


The way the word "tab" made it's way into descriptions of chord/lyrics sheets and lead sheets, I suggest you read the recent "Tablature" thread. Most things posted on webpages intended for tabs does not have any tabs on them.
I agree the word "tab" is used loosely(incorrectly) online, but it does make a convenient word to refer to what you might otherwise call a "chord/lyrics sheet." That's whay I gave it the quotes above: they aren't really tabs but that's what folks are calling them. I never expect to see real tablature unless the word "tablature" is used.


I also prefer proper lead sheets with the melody line, but beggars can't be choosers. They are readily available if you are willing to pay for them. There are copyright holders and people doing the graphics, who need to earn a buck. When browsing user uploaded free material, you have to make do.
Too true. We should be grateful there are any free resources available at all.
 
I agree the word "tab" is used loosely(incorrectly) online, but it does make a convenient word to refer to what you might otherwise call a "chord/lyrics sheet."

The keyboard has a TAB key. Wouldn't it be nice if we could hit that key and then type in the name of the chord we want and have the little box appear? I save those chord boxes as JPEGS and add them when I type out a song.

This site offers the chords.
https://ukulele-chords.com/
 
Different formats for different purposes. For general use, I want one copy that has inline chords and reduced to its simplest form for large font one page viewing. This is my go to copy for jamming or performing. I dont need diagrams and chords above just wastes precious space. If the intro or instrumental break is just verse chords, I write that “v.chords”; I dont rewrite repeated choruses or verses, I just indicate “rep. CH” Its just something to glance at if I blank or if its a song I dont play much.

I copy and paste from the usual sites country song sheets (classic country, cowboy chords, etc). I often check a few different versions then on ultimate guitar, if I’m looking to check out an intro or break or just verify details. I put it in Onsong, which has the feature that you can change any song to inline or above line chord names or nashville#s, as well as inline/above line diagrams or just diagrams at top or bottom. It just takes a few clicks to change. If I am playing something with many tricky, rarely used chords I will put them at the top. Another nice feature is that you can keep chord sheets in the simplest form but just click on any particular chord and a chord diagram will momentarily pop up for a quick reminder. Generally, I want my sheets as uncluttered and space saving as possible, then I can have a large readable font on a fairly small tablet, all on one page, no scrolling. Too much info just has people rivetted to the page and keeps them from seeing the simple song structure (forest thru the trees stuff).

On the other hand, when learning more complicated tunes, like fiddle tunes, chord melody, solo stuff, I want standard notation w/ lyric below and chord name above. For just getting the tune under my fingers for later work on improv, I am good with just a simple melody line (or I’ll just work it out by ear).
 
We write them above, because that is much easier for our beginners to read from. We leave the chord diagrams out, by the time we "jam" with them, they're supposed to know the chords.
 
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