ABC Notation

ABC notation is a text-based format for writing sheet music. Instead of a graphical staff editor, you type plain text — notes, rhythm, key, and structure — and the result renders as a standard musical score.

JustChords supports ABC notation as a first-class feature: attach an ABC score to any song, and it displays as sheet music alongside your chords and lyrics. A dedicated built-in editor lets you write and preview the score in real time, directly on your device.

What ABC notation looks like

A minimal score is just a few header lines followed by the notes:

X:1
T:Simple Scale
M:4/4
L:1/4
K:C
C D E F | G A B c |

• X: tune number — T: title — M: meter — L: default note length — K: key
• Letters A–G are notes; lowercase letters are an octave higher
• Bar lines separate measures; notes are read left to right

From these simple rules you can express melodies, chords, lyrics, repeats, and multi-voice arrangements.

ABC notation in JustChords

Attaching a score to a song

Open any song in the SongEditor. There are two ways to add an ABC score:

• Tap the + button in the Song Editor toolbar and choose ABC Notation — JustChords inserts a ready-to-edit block for you.
• Or paste your ABC source directly inside an existing {start_of_abc} block.

JustChords renders the score as sheet music instantly. It is stored with the song and displayed in the Song Viewer below the chords and lyrics.

The built-in ABC editor

JustChords includes a dedicated ABC editor with a live preview: edit the text on one side, see the rendered score on the other. No external tools needed — you can draft and refine sheet music entirely within the app.

The editor is also available as a standalone web tool: JustChords ABC Notation Editor

Guitar tablature

JustChords can automatically generate guitar tablature from any ABC score. Enable it in the song's notation settings and the tab appears beneath the staff.

Transposition

The ABC score transposes together with the rest of the song when you change the key or set a capo in the Song Viewer.

Rendering engine

JustChords renders ABC notation using the abcjs library. Anything supported by abcjs works in JustChords. When drafting scores in an external editor, choosing an abcjs-based tool will most closely match what you see in the app.

Examples

Ready-to-use snippets covering note lengths, rests, sharps, chord symbols, lyrics, repeats, and more:

→ ABC Notation Examples

External resources

• abcnotation.com — the reference home of the ABC standard, with the full format specification
• abcjs Editor (drawthedots.com) — official abcjs live editor; closest match to JustChords rendering
• abcjs.net Editor — another abcjs-powered editor
• ABC Transcription Tools — full-featured editor with playback and export