| This is the standard format used by most websites for displaying chorded song lyrics. However, it is verbose, limited and prone to mark-up errors. |
This is a proprietary format developed specifically for ICDb that allows a rich design of a chorded song. It is tight, limits chord placement errors, and allows for clear directions and key changes. |
Example
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Example
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Song Sections -
Songs are broken into sections such as choruses and verses.
Song sections are on their own line and enclosed in brackets: "[" and "]".
Example: [Verse 1]
[Chorus]
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Song Sections -
Songs are broken into sections such as choruses and verses.
If the first character of a line is "~" then that denotes a new song section.
Example: ~ Verse 1
~ Chorus
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Text Verbatim -
Standard format does not support indictating verbatim text areas.
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Text Verbatim -
You can also have song sections that contain verbatim text without any special formatting. This can be used to draw out rif and specific fingerings that you don't want reformated by ICDb.
If the first character of a line is "!" then that denotes a new song section with no special formatting.
Example: !Guitar Intro
e|-1-1-1-1-1---0------
B|-3-3-3-3-3---1---1--
G|-----------------2--
D|--------------------
A|--------------------
E|--------------------
Note: That this is not the accepted way for adding riffs to your song (see below).
Instead, use the Riff Helper to add riffs so they are transposable on any tuning.
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Chords -
Chords are notated on the line above the lyric line. Standard format does not support dictating which version of the
chord you'd like such as ones up the neck variations. You can also add "slash chords" where the pitch after the slash indicates
a chord inversion where the bass most pitch is not the root pitch of the chord.
Example: G for G Major
Cm7 for C Minor 7th
G7/F for G Dominant 7th with the F as the bass pitch
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Chords -
Chords are notated in brackets. The ICDb supports multiple versions of the same chord such as different fingerings or up the neck positions.
You can notate which version by adding a ".v" to the end of the chord notation (note that C Major is not the same as the C5 power chord).
Chords can be in line and are surrounded by "[" and "]".
Adding a peroid ".v" in the chord followed by a number indicates you want to use a specific version of the chord
Example: [G] for G Major
[Cm7] for C Minor 7th
[Cm7.v2] for C Minor 7th, version 2
[G7/F] for G Dominant 7th with the F as the bass pitch
[G/B.v2] for G Major chord with B as the bass pitch, version 2
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Riff Tabs -
Standard format does not support riff tabs.
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Riff Tabs -
Riff tabs are notated a specific ICDb format. This allows them to be translated between instruments as well as to be tranposed to any key.
The Riff Helper will parse riff from the standard format and generate this format string for you.
The riff's ICDb text is surrounded by ">" and "<".
and must be on its own line. It can be placed in any section type. See the Riff Helper for more details.
Example: >1:0.2:-.3:2.4:-.5:4< for the first 3 notes of a major scale
>m1.1:5.2:-.3:7.4:-.5:9<
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Individual Pitches / Notes -
Standard format does not support indictating individual pitches.
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Individual Pitches / Notes -
Pitches are notated in curly brackets.
Pitches can be in line and are surrounded by "{" and "}".
Example: {G}
{C-flat}
{D#}
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Key Changes -
Key changes can be indicated. All following lyrics and chords will be in the given key.
If the line begins with "KEY CHANGE:" then ICDb considers all of the following lyrics and chords in the new key. Then use use normal pitch notation.
You can also switch scales by using the words "Major" or "Minor" (for Natural Minor). If no new scale is indicated, then the previous scale is assumed.
Example: KEY CHANGE: Eb for the same scale
KEY CHANGE: C# Major
KEY CHANGE: A Minor
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Key Changes -
Key changes can be indicated. All following lyrics and chords will be in the given key.
If the first character of a line is "^" then ICDb considers all of the following lyrics and chords in the new key. Then use use normal pitch notation.
You can also switch scales by using the words "Major" or "Minor" (for Natural Minor). If no new scale is indicated, then the previous scale is assumed.
Example: ^ {E-flat} for the same scale
^ {C# Major}
^ {A Minor}
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Non-Lyric Directions -
Sometimes you want to add directions to the player such as slow-down or repeat the chorus.
These directions are on their own line and contained in parentheses: "(" and ")".
Example: (Repeat Chorus)
(Male voice here)
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Non-Lyric Directions -
Sometimes you want to add directions to the player such as slow-down or repeat the chorus.
If the first character of a line is "%" then ICDb treats it differently than normal lyrics.
Example: % Repeat Chorus
% Male voice here
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These codes are used for Key Changes and Chord Notations
| "A" | A / La |
| "A#" | A♯ / La♯ |
| "A##" | A𝄪 / La𝄪 |
| "Ab" | A♭ / La♭ |
| "Abb" | A𝄫 / La𝄫 |
| "B" | B / Si |
| "B#" | B♯ / Si♯ |
| "B##" | B𝄪 / Si𝄪 |
| "Bb" | B♭ / Si♭ |
| "Bbb" | B𝄫 / Si𝄫 |
| "C" | C / Do |
| "C#" | C♯ / Do♯ |
| "C##" | C𝄪 / Do𝄪 |
| "Cb" | C♭ / Do♭ |
| "Cbb" | C𝄫 / Do𝄫 |
| "D" | D / Re |
| "D#" | D♯ / Re♯ |
| "D##" | D𝄪 / Re𝄪 |
| "Db" | D♭ / Re♭ |
| "Dbb" | D𝄫 / Re𝄫 |
| "E" | E / Mi |
| "E#" | E♯ / Mi♯ |
| "E##" | E𝄪 / Mi𝄪 |
| "Eb" | E♭ / Mi♭ |
| "Ebb" | E𝄫 / Mi𝄫 |
| "F" | F / Fa |
| "F#" | F♯ / Fa♯ |
| "F##" | F𝄪 / Fa𝄪 |
| "Fb" | F♭ / Fa♭ |
| "Fbb" | F𝄫 / Fa𝄫 |
| "G" | G / Sol |
| "G#" | G♯ / Sol♯ |
| "G##" | G𝄪 / Sol𝄪 |
| "Gb" | G♭ / Sol♭ |
| "Gbb" | G𝄫 / Sol𝄫 |
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These codes are used for Key Changes and Chord Notations
| "A" | A / La |
| "A#" | A♯ / La♯ |
| "A##" | A𝄪 / La𝄪 |
| "A-flat" | A♭ / La♭ |
| "A-flat-flat" | A𝄫 / La𝄫 |
| "B" | B / Si |
| "B#" | B♯ / Si♯ |
| "B##" | B𝄪 / Si𝄪 |
| "B-flat" | B♭ / Si♭ |
| "B-flat-flat" | B𝄫 / Si𝄫 |
| "C" | C / Do |
| "C#" | C♯ / Do♯ |
| "C##" | C𝄪 / Do𝄪 |
| "C-flat" | C♭ / Do♭ |
| "C-flat-flat" | C𝄫 / Do𝄫 |
| "D" | D / Re |
| "D#" | D♯ / Re♯ |
| "D##" | D𝄪 / Re𝄪 |
| "D-flat" | D♭ / Re♭ |
| "D-flat-flat" | D𝄫 / Re𝄫 |
| "E" | E / Mi |
| "E#" | E♯ / Mi♯ |
| "E##" | E𝄪 / Mi𝄪 |
| "E-flat" | E♭ / Mi♭ |
| "E-flat-flat" | E𝄫 / Mi𝄫 |
| "F" | F / Fa |
| "F#" | F♯ / Fa♯ |
| "F##" | F𝄪 / Fa𝄪 |
| "F-flat" | F♭ / Fa♭ |
| "F-flat-flat" | F𝄫 / Fa𝄫 |
| "G" | G / Sol |
| "G#" | G♯ / Sol♯ |
| "G##" | G𝄪 / Sol𝄪 |
| "G-flat" | G♭ / Sol♭ |
| "G-flat-flat" | G𝄫 / Sol𝄫 |
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These the valid chord type codes
| "" | Major |
| "m" | Minor |
| "dim" | Diminished |
| "dim7" | Diminished 7th |
| "aug" | Augmented |
| "6" | Major 6th |
| "m6" | Minor 6th |
| "maj7" | Major 7th |
| "7" | Dominant 7th |
| "m7" | Minor 7th |
| "9" | Dominant 9th |
| "maj9" | Major 9th |
| "7(add-flat9)" | Dominant Minor 9th |
| "m9" | Minor 9th |
| "sus4" | Suspended 4th |
| "5" | Fifth (Power Chord) |
| "(add9)" | Added 9th |
| "m(add9)" | Minor, Added 9th |
| "sus2" | Suspended 2nd |
| "m(maj7)" | Minor, Major 7th |
| "m7-flat5" | Minor 7th, Flat 5th |
| "7(-flat5)" | Dominant 7th, Flat 5th |
| "aug7" | Augmented 7th |
| "11" | Dominant 11th |
| "m11" | Minor 11th |
| "13" | Dominant 13th |
| "7(add-sharp9)" | Dominant 7th, Sharp 9th |
| "7sus4" | 7th, Suspended 4th |
| "6(add9)" | Major 6th, Added 9th |
| "m6(add9)" | Minor 6th, Added 9th |
| "m9(maj7)" | Minor 9th, Major 7th |
| "(-flat5)" | Flat 5th |
| "maj7(-flat5)" | Major 7th, Flat 5th |
| "aug7(-flat9)" | Augmented 7th, Flat 9th |
| "aug9" | 9th Augmented |
| "9(-flat5)" | 9th, Flat 5th |
| "aug9(-sharp11)" | 9th, Augmented 11th |
| "13(-flat9)" | 13th, Flat 9th |
| "13(-flat9,-flat5)" | 13th, Flat 9th, Flat 5th |
| "maj7(-sharp5)" | Major 7th, Sharp 5th |
| "maj13" | Major 13th |
| "tacet" | Tacet |
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These the valid chord type codes
| "" | Major |
| "m" | Minor |
| "dim" | Diminished |
| "dim7" | Diminished 7th |
| "aug" | Augmented |
| "6" | Major 6th |
| "m6" | Minor 6th |
| "maj7" | Major 7th |
| "7" | Dominant 7th |
| "m7" | Minor 7th |
| "9" | Dominant 9th |
| "maj9" | Major 9th |
| "7(add-flat9)" | Dominant Minor 9th |
| "m9" | Minor 9th |
| "sus4" | Suspended 4th |
| "5" | Fifth (Power Chord) |
| "(add9)" | Added 9th |
| "m(add9)" | Minor, Added 9th |
| "sus2" | Suspended 2nd |
| "m(maj7)" | Minor, Major 7th |
| "m7-flat5" | Minor 7th, Flat 5th |
| "7(-flat5)" | Dominant 7th, Flat 5th |
| "aug7" | Augmented 7th |
| "11" | Dominant 11th |
| "m11" | Minor 11th |
| "13" | Dominant 13th |
| "7(add-sharp9)" | Dominant 7th, Sharp 9th |
| "7sus4" | 7th, Suspended 4th |
| "6(add9)" | Major 6th, Added 9th |
| "m6(add9)" | Minor 6th, Added 9th |
| "m9(maj7)" | Minor 9th, Major 7th |
| "(-flat5)" | Flat 5th |
| "maj7(-flat5)" | Major 7th, Flat 5th |
| "aug7(-flat9)" | Augmented 7th, Flat 9th |
| "aug9" | 9th Augmented |
| "9(-flat5)" | 9th, Flat 5th |
| "aug9(-sharp11)" | 9th, Augmented 11th |
| "13(-flat9)" | 13th, Flat 9th |
| "13(-flat9,-flat5)" | 13th, Flat 9th, Flat 5th |
| "maj7(-sharp5)" | Major 7th, Sharp 5th |
| "maj13" | Major 13th |
| "tacet" | Tacet |
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