The syntax
Everything you can write in a barmark chart, one row each, with an example and how it
renders. A line is chords only when it starts with |; everything else is a heading, a directive or text.
Showing 40 of 40
| You type | It means | Example | Rendered |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | A | bars · §2 | A line that starts with a pipe is a bar line; each cell between pipes is one bar. | | D | A | Bm | G | | |
| D A | bars · §2.1 | Several chords in a cell split the bar into equal slots. | | D A | Am7 / / G7 | | |
/ bars · §2.3 | A slash holds whatever was sounding through its slot. | | G / / D | / | | |
% bars · §2.3 | A percent sign alone in a cell plays the previous bar again, exactly. | | C G | % | D | % | | |
D_E_F bars · §2.2 | Underscores join chords into one slot, divided equally: three make a triplet. | | C D_E_F | | |
N.C. bars · §2.3 | No harmony: the chord instruments stop, though drums, a riff or a voice may carry on. | | N.C. | N.C. | D | A | | |
-- bars · §2.3 | Silence: the whole band stops for the slot. | | G -- -- -- | | |
? bars · §2.3 | A chord goes here but isn't written down yet; it always warns. | | D | ? | G | A | | |
... bars · §2.3 | An unmeasured hold, such as a fermata or a final ring-out; it isn't counted as a bar. | | A | ... | | |
[2/4] bars · §2.4 | A time signature in brackets at the start of a cell sets the meter for that bar only. | | D | A | [2/4] G | D | | |
| | bars · §2 | An empty cell is an error: hold with / or repeat with %. | | D | | | |
| D | A bars · §2 | A bar line without its closing pipe is still read, with a warning. | | D | A | |
NC X2 … – bars · §2.3 | Spellings phones and editors produce are accepted: NC for N.C., X or × for x, … for ..., and a dash for --. | | NC | D | X2 | G – – – | | A | … | | |
D7sus4 chords · §3 | A chord symbol: root, then quality, extension, sus, added tones and bass, in that order. | | D7sus4 | Bm7 | Gmaj7 | F#m | | |
G5(7) chords · §3 | 5 means no third; parentheses add exactly the tones listed. | | G5(7) | D5 | | |
Am7(b5) chords · §3 | An altered tone replaces the natural one of the same number if the chord has it; otherwise it adds. | | Am7(b5) | C(b9) | Gm | | |
C7b9 chords · §3 | An alteration may skip the parentheses, but only straight after an extension; the canonical form adds them. | | C7b9 | Fm | | |
D/F# chords · §3 | A slash and a note after a chord puts that note in the bass. | | D | D/F# | G | A | | |
C2 chords · §3 | C2 is rejected because traditions disagree on it; write Csus2 or C(9). | | C2 | | |
{E} notes · §4 | Braces give exact notes instead of a chord name, low to high; the first is the bass. | | {E} | {E} | D | A |
| {C E F# B} | G | | |
{D E! G} notes · §4 | An exclamation mark after a note marks it as the root. | | {D E! G} | | |
{E1} notes · §4.1 | Inside braces a number is the octave, at sounding pitch: middle C is C4. | | {E1} | / |
| {C3 G3 E4} | {B2 F#3 D4} | | |
x2 repeats · §5 | x and a number N at the end of a line plays that line N times. | | D | A | x2 | |
|: :| repeats · §5 | Repeat signs repeat the bars between them, across one or more lines; twice unless counted. | |: D | A | | G | D :| x3 | |
x ... repeats · §5 | An open repeat plays at least once, an unknown number of times: a vamp or a fade. | | E7 | / | x ... | A | ... | | |
|1 |2 repeats · §5 | First and second endings are reserved for v0.2, so for now they are an error. | | D | A | |1 G | D | | |
## Verse sections · §6 | A level-two heading begins a section, which runs to the next one. | ## Verse | D | A | Bm | G | | |
## Chorus sections · §6 | A heading with no bars under it replays the latest section with that name. | ## Chorus | G | D | ## Verse | A | ## Chorus | |
## Chorus x2 sections · §5 | x and a number on a heading repeats the whole section. | ## Chorus x2 | G | D | | |
-> sections · §6 | An arrow on a replay heading cuts its last bar, so the next section starts there. | ## Chorus | G | C | G | D | ## Chorus -> ## Outro | G | | |
## Bridge sections · §6 | An empty section that matches no earlier one is an error. | ## Bridge | |
key: directives · §7 | The key: a root with optional m, or a root and a mode. | key: Bm | Bm | G | D | A | | |
time: directives · §7 | The meter from here on; 4/4 if never set. | time: 6/8 | D | A | | |
tempo: directives · §7 | Beats per minute, counting the meter's beat. | tempo: 145 | D | A | | |
feel: directives · §7.1 | Where off-beats land: straight, swing, shuffle or swing 16. | feel: swing | C7 | F7 | | |
key: D, time: 4/4 directives · §7 | Several directives share a line, separated by commas; after bars they take effect at the next bar. | key: D, time: 4/4, tempo: 120 | D | G | time: 3/4 | A | D | | |
# Title text · §1 | A level-one heading is the song's title, once at most. | # Wagon Wheel | G | D | Em | C | | |
lyrics text · §1 | Any line that isn't bars, a heading or a directive is text: lyrics, cues, notes. | | D | A | Headed down south to the land of the pines | |
### Note text · §1 | Headings of three or more hashes are text, for notes to the band. | ### Watch Kevin for the cutoff | D | A | | |
```barmark text · §1 | Fence lines are ignored and the chart inside is read as usual; fence a chart so markdown previews keep its lines apart. | ```barmark | D | A | ``` |
The full rules are in the barmark grammar, which this guide follows.