Screen shot of ChordSmith's main window

What is ChordSmith?

ChordSmith is a Giftware program that can transpose song sheets from one key to any other. It also can convert song sheets between two popular formats. ChordSmith runs on any computer, PC, Mac, or Unix/Linux that has Java 1.4 or higher.

What is a song sheet?

A song sheet is a text file that has the chords and lyrics of a song. Sometimes they are called "fake sheets".

There are three styles of song sheets that are most common on the Web. One style, which for want of a better name I call "two-line" style is easiest for humans to read. In two-line style, the chords are above the words where the chord changes are to be made. It looks like this:
 D               C      D7      Em               A    
Once she came in-to my room, feathered hat, and all,
Here is the result of transposing the above two-line example from the key of D to the key of F#:
 F#              E      F#7     Abm              C#   
Once she came in-to my room, feathered hat, and all,
The second song sheet style is called "ChordPro" and was developed to be easy for a machine to read. Software exists to print out ChordPro text into HTML or PostScript. ChordPro has the chords embedded in the lyrics using square brackets as delimiters. Here is a ChordPro equivalent to the above: 
 O[D]nce she came in-[C]to my r[D7]oom, fea[Em]thered hat, and a[A]ll,
And here is the transposed version:
O[F#]nce she came in-[E]to my r[F#7]oom, fea[Abm]thered hat, and a[C#]ll,
ChordSmith can convert files from ChordPro to two-line format and the reverse. The files must be text-only files; no HTML, no Word files, etc. ChordSmith doesn't know how to handle the formatting features of those files.

The third style, popularized by Rise Up Singing: The Group Singing Songbook, is designed to minimize space by putting the chords for an entire verse on a single line following the verse like this:
A long, long time ago
I can still remember how that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while

/ GD Em / Am7 C Em D / GD Em / Am7 C / Em Am D /
The above example was borrowed from http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/charts.htm, which describes the format in detail. ChordSmith cannot convert this format (which I will refer to as "rise-up" format) to or from ChordPro or two-line formats, but it can transpose it from one key to another.

Where can I find song sheets?

You can find song sheets for thousands of songs on the internet. One way is to do a Google or Yahoo search for the name of the song you are interested in, enclosed in quotes, followed by the search words "chords lyrics", like this: 
"You've got a friend" chords lyrics
Here are a few websites that provide free song sheets:

Who can use ChordSmith?

If you play a chordal instrument such as guitar, piano, etc., and you play "by ear" based on chords from song sheets, you can use ChordSmith to transpose your chords into any key you prefer.

What is Giftware?

ChordSmith a giftware program. I have enjoyed creating it and I give it to you in hopes that you will enjoy using it. It is my gift to you.  

If you use it and like it, you might feel moved to make a gift to me. If so, you can do so with the PayPal  links below, with complete security. Any amount will make me happy. If you decide to make a gift, you will be helping me pay for the maintenance of the program and this website.

If you decide not to donate money, maybe you'd like to send me a note about your experiences with ChordSmith (hopefully good, but if not good, I need to know that too).  I will consider your note a gift, for it is an investment of your time and interest.

Thanks for your interest, 

John Grosberg

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Download ChordSmith

Click here to download the ChordSmith program, version 2.1 - Updated Dec 28, 2009.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users, please note: If your OS won't let you install the program, do the following:
  1. Create a folder called "Chordsmith" on your desktop.
  2. Start the Chordsmith Installer by double-clicking on the file "installChordSmith.jar" that you downloaded from this web page.
  3. Step through the installer until you get to where it asks you "Select the installation path:".
  4. Click the "Browse..." button and find the "Chordsmith" folder on your desktop.
  5. Select that folder and click the "Next" button.
  6. Proceed until the installer completes the installation.
  7. You can leave the "Chordsmith" folder on your desktop or move it to any place you prefer.
  8. If you want a shortcut to ChordSmith on your desktop, find the "ChordSmith_INTL.jar" file in the "Chordsmith" folder. Create a shortcut by right-clicking on the file and selecting "Create shortcut".
  9. Move the shortcut to your desktop.
What's changed for version 2.1: