Chords and Lyrics
ChordsAndLyrics will format staffless lead sheets.
Consider an alternative
Chords and Lyrics shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 60+ sites and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (60+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 2 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.9 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Chords and Lyrics stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| chords | #5 |
| lyrics | #22 |
| music | >100 |
| post | >100 |
| posts | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Chords and Lyrics
From the official readme · v2.0Description
This plugin assists in the creation of staffless lead sheets, also called chords sheets.
It defines a [chordsandlyrics] shortcode which can be used in your post or page text.
It does not require any editing of your template files.
Text appearing between the [chordsandlyrics] and [/chordsandlyrics] tags will be
formatted for chord symbols written in square brackets (eg. [Cmaj]) embedded
inline within lyrics.
It will then display the chord symbol at the same horizontal position above the lyrics.
For example:
[C]Oh [F]say can you see…
will be reformatting using HTML table to display as
C F
Oh say can you see…
with the C correctly positioned over “Oh” and the F positioned over “say”.
The commonly used alternative is to use fixed fonts which isn’t very attractive.
This syntax is similar to the that used by ChordPro/Chordii.
Features:
- Format lead sheets, keeping chord symbols above the correct lyric.
- Appearance options page allows each end user to select Lyrics only
or Chords And Lyrics display via their profile (user’s option page).
Directions for Use
- Create Posts or Pages containing the [chordsandlyrics] … [/chordsandlyrics] tags.
- Embed chord symbols within square brackets inline with lyrics within these tags.
For example:
[chordsandlyrics]
[C]Mary had a little lamb, [G]little lamb, [C]little lamb.
[C]Mary had a little lamb whose [F]fleece was [G]white as [C]snow.
[/chordsandlyrics]
Note that chords can appear in the middle of lyric words.
Installation
These are the directions for the install. Be sure to read Directions for Use before using.
- Upload the ‘ChordsAndLyrics’ directory to the
/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- Insert [chordsandlyrics] and [/chordsandlyrics] shortcodes around text containing
embedded chords symbols in square brackets.
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to customize the formatting of the lyrics and chord symbols?
Yes. Adjust the CSS in your theme. Chords are wrapped within div#cnl div#chord strong tags. Lyrics are wrapped within div#cnl div#lyric tags.
Can I display European chords?
Yes. Beginning with version 1.7, European chord convention is supported. A new option in the Reading Settings allows enabling display using aHcdefg instead of abcdefg. For entering chords in a post using European chord convention, add the european=yes argument to the chordsandlyrics short tag (eg. [chordsandlyrics european=yes])
Changelog
Install over previous version.
1.8.0
- Fix deprecated get_currentuserinfo error
1.7.0
- Add support for European chord style (aHcdefg, B=Bb)
1.6.0
- Fix bug preventing headings from showing.
- Improved formatting for big chords over small words.
- Clean up options API code.
- Settings now displayed at bottom of settings -> reading page.
- Removed multi-page option.
1.5.0
- Convert previous use of tables to CSS layers for formatting.
- Change multicolumn formatting to allow author to control it better.
1.4.0
- First public release to WordPress.org subversion.
1.3.0
- Move controls from a widget to the user’s profile page.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Chords and Lyrics alternatives
All chords plugins →FAQ
Chords and Lyrics: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 1, 2026
Is Chords and Lyrics free?
Yes. Chords and Lyrics is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Chords and Lyrics safe to use in 2026?
Chords and Lyrics shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 60+ sites and was last updated 2 years ago, and scores 25/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Chords and Lyrics?
Chords and Lyrics is active on 60+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 8,256 times since it launched in January 2010. It was downloaded 170 times in the last 30 days.
Does Chords and Lyrics work with WordPress 7.1?
Chords and Lyrics is officially tested up to WordPress 4.9.33, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Chords and Lyrics last updated?
The latest version, 2.0, was released on May 15, 2024 (2 years ago).
Who makes Chords and Lyrics?
Chords and Lyrics is developed and maintained by rlisle.
What are the best alternatives to Chords and Lyrics?
The most popular alternatives to Chords and Lyrics are Lewe ChordPress (100+ installs), WP Chords (100+ installs) and jTab Guitar Tab Shortcode (10+ installs).
Powered by PageForge
Want thousands of pages that rank like these? Build them in an afternoon.
This directory runs on the same engine as PageForge. Turn any spreadsheet, CSV or API into thousands of fast, SEO-ready WordPress pages — with schema, internal links and AI-written copy baked in.
- CSV, Google Sheets & API data sources
- AI content, schema & internal links per page
- Works with Elementor, Gutenberg, Yoast & Rank Math
- Free on WordPress.org — no credit card
