Move name tags and chords in empty spaces
Check if you can move the [Intro] section on the side
If there’s an [Intro] section, check if you can place it on the side of the content.
As a general rule, the [Intro] section needs to be clearly separated from the sections around it, e.g.:
- There should always be one empty line above and below the
[Intro]and the rest of the content—i.e. the[Intro]should not “touch” any of the surrounding lines - There should always be at least two spaces between the
[Intro]and the section beside it
Tip
Sometimes, it might be worth splitting a line of lyrics into two lines—or two lines of lyrics grouped on one line—in order to free up some space for the [Intro].
If possible, move the name tags and chords to the side of the lyrics
For the sections with a name tag—e.g. most sections except for the Verses—and eventually some chords attached to it, see if you can move the name tag and its chords in some empty space nearby, either:
- above the lyrics—usually on the right-hand side—e.g. when the previous section has some leftover empty space next to it
- beside the lyrics, e.g. when the lyrics don’t span all the way to the right
I can also be a combination of both, as long as the name tag doesn’t start below the first lyrics of that section!
A few guidelines:
- If the chords of a same section span over multiple lines, make sure they are nicely aligned on top of one another
- If you put the name tag beside the first line, always keep at least one space between the lyrics and the
[sign - If you put the chords beside the lyrics, try to ideally keep at least two spaces between the lyrics and the chords—so that the chords don’t get confused with some lyrics—except if:
- the line of chords connected to the lyrics by only one space starts with a
(, i.e. it’s the beginning of a repeating group of chords - there are other lines of chords above and/or below, e.g. because a column of chords creates a visual separation that ensures the chord won’t be confused with the lyrics
- the line of chords connected to the lyrics by only one space starts with a
Tip
Similarly as with the [Intro] section, it might be worth splitting a line of lyrics to place the chords beside the lyrics, especially when the chords take up more than one line.
Tip
Remember you can:
-
split the name tag on two lines with a hyphen or by moving the section number on the next line
-
move the name of the referred section on the next line
Move the remaining name tags in the remaining empty space
Finally, try to squeeze all the remaining name tags—i.e. the ones without lyrics—along with their chords in the leftover empty spaces.
Just make sure that overall, the sections remain in the right order!