Play Mode
Play mode is Chordly's performance view. Read your chord sheet hands-free with autoscroll, keep time with the metronome, and transpose on the fly.
Play Mode gives you a clean reading view for any song. Instead of editing lines and formatting text, you can focus on following the chart, keeping time, and making quick viewing changes while you play.
What Play Mode is for
Use Play Mode when you want to:
- rehearse from the finished chart
- follow a song hands-free with autoscroll
- transpose without going back into the editor
- change the zoom for a better reading size
- keep time with the metronome while the chart stays on screen
What you see in Play Mode
At the top of the page, Play Mode shows the song title and, when available, the artist, owner, last updated time, view count, and favorite count.
Below that, the main Play Mode toolbar stays easy to reach while you scroll. That toolbar includes:
- autoscroll
- transposing
- zoom
- metronome
Play Mode transposing is temporary. It changes the version you are viewing in Play Mode, but it does not rewrite the song itself in the editor.
The chart itself appears below in a clean reading view. If you are viewing a public song, you may also see recommended songs near the bottom of the page.
Header actions
The Play Mode header keeps the most useful song-level actions available without taking you back into the editor.
- use the download button to export the song from Play Mode
- use the logo or mobile menu to get back to the dashboard
- use the pencil icon on desktop to open the song in the editor if you have permission to edit it
PDF and ChordPro export both use the same header download menu you see elsewhere in the app. For that flow, see Download Chord Sheets and Tabs as PDF and Exporting ChordPro.
Mobile vs desktop controls
On desktop, the Play Mode controls stay visible in the toolbar.
On smaller screens, the autoscroll, zoom, and metronome controls expand when you open them so the page stays cleaner while you read. That makes Play Mode easier to use on a phone or smaller tablet without filling the screen with controls all at once.
Play Mode vs the editor
Use the editor when you are writing, formatting, or changing the song itself.
Use Play Mode when the chart is already made and you just want to read it, scroll it, transpose it, zoom it, or run the metronome while you play.
Play Mode also remembers the transpose and zoom setting for each song, so when you come back later, the chart opens the way you left it.
Next steps
If you want the details for a specific control, go deeper here:
FAQ
- Does Play Mode save my transposition and zoom settings?
- Yes. Play Mode remembers the transpose and zoom settings for each song. When you come back later, the chart opens the way you left it.
- Can I use Play Mode on mobile?
- Yes. Play Mode is designed to work on mobile and smaller screens. Controls expand when opened to keep the reading view clean.
- Does transposing in Play Mode change the original song?
- No. Play Mode transposition is temporary. It changes only the version you are viewing and does not rewrite the song in the editor.
- How is Play Mode different from the editor?
- The editor is for writing, formatting, and changing the song. Play Mode is for reading and performing. You cannot edit document content from Play Mode.
- Can I download a PDF from Play Mode?
- Yes. The Play Mode header has the same download menu as the editor, so you can export to PDF or ChordPro without going back to the editor.