🎓 Interactive Tutorials

A full reference for every feature in Bluegrass Builder. Tap a section to expand it.

🏠 Song Library▼

🎵

Song Cards

Tap to open a song. Tap the X icon to delete it (you'll be asked to confirm).

+ New

New Song

Creates a blank song and opens the editor.

📋

Lists

Organize songs into named lists. Tap the list name to expand or collapse it. Add songs from the editor using 📋+. Press the Play button next to the list name to play all songs in the list.

⬆⬇

Import / Export

Export saves all songs to a JSON backup file. Import restores songs from a backup.

✏️ Song Editor▼

←

Back Arrow

Returns to the song library. If you have unsaved notes, lyrics, or resources, you'll be prompted first.

‹ ›

Prev / Next Song

Navigate to the previous or next song in your library (or list).

Name

Song Name

Tap the name field in the top bar to edit it. If you rename a saved song, you'll be asked whether to update the original or save as a new song.

🔧 Toolbar Buttons▼

Save

Saves the song including chords, settings, notes, lyrics, and resources.

Undo

Undoes the last chord or section change. Multiple undo steps are supported.

Select Range

Tap to enter range selection mode, then tap a start and end chord tile. Used for copying or setting a loop range.

Copy

Appears after a range is selected. Copies the selected chord tiles to the clipboard.

Loop Selected Range

Appears after a range is selected. Sets those tiles as the loop region during playback. Tap the active loop indicator to clear it.

Paste

Appears when the clipboard has copied tiles. Inserts them after the currently selected tile (or at the end if nothing is selected).

Repeat Song

Sets how many times the full song repeats during playback. ∞ loops forever. Tap to cycle through options.

Arrange

Set a custom playback order for your sections — e.g. Intro, A Part × 2, B Part, A Part. Overrides the default top-to-bottom order.

Add Section

Adds a new empty section to the chart. Tap the section name to rename it, or choose from preset names.

📋+

Add to List

Adds this song to one or more lists, or creates a new list. Song must be saved first.

▶ Playback Controls▼

▶

Play / Pause

Starts or pauses playback. The chord chart scrolls automatically and beat dots flash with each beat.

−/+

BPM

Tap − or + to adjust tempo by 5 BPM. Tap the number itself to type any value.

Tap

Tap

Set the tempo by tapping to the beat of the song you're listening to.

4/4

Time Signature

Choose 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 6/8, or 9/8. Affects the number of beats per measure and the beat dot display.

Auto+

Auto Speed-Up

Automatically increases the BPM by the chosen amount after each repeat. Great for speed-building practice. Set to 0 to disable.

🪕 Building Your Chart▼

Key

Song Key

Set the key in the Chord Chart header. This determines which chords appear in the quick chord strip.

♭↓ ♯↑

Transpose

Shifts every chord in the chart up or down by one half step.

A Pt

Sections

Your chart is divided into sections (A Part, B Part, etc.). Tap the section name to rename it or pick from presets. Use ↑↓ arrows to reorder sections.

×2

Section Repeats

Use the − and + buttons next to each section name to set how many times that section repeats during playback.

♩

Chord Tiles

Tap a tile to select it (highlighted border). Tap again to see chord charts. Tap the × badge to delete it.

▷

Play From Cell

Tap the small play triangle on any chord tile to start playback from that measure.

Dgm

Fingering Diagrams

Tap any chord tile a second time to see guitar, banjo, and mandolin fingering diagrams. Change which instruments are shown in Settings.

🎹 Chord Footer▼

G I

Quick Chord Buttons

Six common chords in the current key. Tap to add measures (set by MPT). Long-press to always add just 1 measure.

MPT

Measures Per Tap

Controls how many measures any chord button adds. Options: 1, 2, 4, or 8. Long-pressing a chord always adds 1 regardless of MPT.

▾

All Chords

Opens the full chord palette. Select a chord variation (major, minor, 7th, etc.), then tap the chord name button (G, C, D, etc.) to add the chord.

Effect Buttons

Rest

Adds a whole-rest measure — silent during playback.

→

Skip

Adds a measure that is shown on the chart but skipped during playback.

◇

Ring (select tile first)

Converts the selected tile to a ringing open strum that sustains.

!

Stop (select tile first)

Converts the selected tile to a cut-short strum (chucked strum).

♩

Note (select tile first)

Converts the selected tile to a single picked note using the root of the chord.

𝄢

Root Note (select tile first)

Sets an alternate bass note on the selected chord — e.g. C/G. Opens a note picker.

⧸⧸

Split (select tile first)

Splits the selected measure into two half-measures in 4/4 or 2/4 time, or three third-measures in 3/4, 6/8, or 9/8 time.

📝 Notes, Lyrics & Resources▼

📝

Notes

Freeform text notes — song history, tuning tips, capo positions, etc.

🎵

Lyrics

Type or paste lyrics to keep them alongside your chord chart.

🔗

Resources

Add links to recordings, lesson videos, or reference material. YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp URLs automatically fetch the title.

Saving Changes

Notes, lyrics, and resources are not saved automatically. Use the Save button. If you try to leave with unsaved changes, you'll be prompted.

⚙️ Settings▼

Capo

Capo

Adjusts the displayed chord names to account for a capo. You can also show the sounding chord names alongside the capo shapes.

1-2-3

Count-In

Adds a metronome count-in before playback begins. Options to count in on every repeat or use a double-length count-in.

🎚

Audio / Mix

Adjust the volume of guitar, mandolin, and bass independently. Toggle walking bass notes on or off.

Feel

Feel

Choose Straight, Swing, or Shuffle for the rhythmic feel. When Swing or Shuffle is selected, an intensity slider appears.

A/1

Chart Display

Show chords as letter names (G, C, D) or Nashville numbers (1, 4, 5). Toggle slash marks. Choose which instruments show fingering diagrams.

🖨

Print Chart

Opens a print-optimized view of the chord chart. Choose font size and which instrument fingering diagrams to include.

Instrument Tuner

A chromatic microphone tuner with presets for guitar, banjo, and mandolin open tunings.

Chord Fingering Charts

Browse fingering diagrams for any chord on guitar, banjo, or mandolin.

Bluegrass Builder — built for pickers 🪕

🎤 Start Tuner

ON ∞ ON 📋+ 1× 2× 3× 4× 5× ∞