🎸 Guitar Chord Diagrams: Render beautiful chord diagrams in SVG format
⚡ High Performance: Optimized with React.memo and efficient rendering
🎨 Fully Customizable: Complete control over colors, sizes, fonts, spacing and layout strategies
🧭 Multiple Views: Horizontal/vertical, right/left-handed presets with consistent label orientation
🧩 Pluggable Layout Engines: Swap or inject custom layout logic (Strategy pattern) without touching rendering code
📱 Responsive: SVG-based rendering that scales perfectly
🔧 TypeScript: Full TypeScript support with comprehensive type definitions
🧪 Well Tested: Comprehensive test suite with Vitest
📚 Storybook: Interactive documentation and examples

Installation

npm install svguitar-react

Quick Start

import React from "react";
import { ChordDiagram } from "svguitar-react";

const App = () => {
	const cMajor = {
		fingers: [
			{ fret: 1, string: 2, is_muted: false, text: "1" },
			{ fret: 2, string: 4, is_muted: false, text: "2" },
			{ fret: 3, string: 5, is_muted: false, text: "3" },
		],
		barres: [],
	};

	return <ChordDiagram chord={cMajor} view="horizontal-right" />;
};

Usage Examples

Basic Chord

<ChordDiagram
	chord={{
		fingers: [
			{ fret: 1, string: 2, is_muted: false, text: "1" },
			{ fret: 2, string: 4, is_muted: false, text: "2" },
		],
		barres: [],
	}}
/>

Chord with Barre

<ChordDiagram
	chord={{
		fingers: [
			{ fret: 2, string: 3, is_muted: false, text: "2" },
			{ fret: 3, string: 5, is_muted: false, text: "3" },
		],
		barres: [{ fret: 1, fromString: 1, toString: 6 }],
	}}
/>

Using Fret Notation

<ChordDiagram
	instrument={{
		tuning: ["E2", "A2", "D3", "G3", "B3", "E4"],
		chord: "x32010", // C Major
	}}
/>

Auto First Fret (High Position Chords)

The autoFirstFret feature automatically adjusts the diagram's starting fret position when finger positions are outside the default visible range. This is particularly useful for high-position chords.

// Without autoFirstFret, you'd need to manually set firstFret={5}
<ChordDiagram
	autoFirstFret={true}
	fretCount={4}
	fingers={[
		{ fret: 5, string: 1, is_muted: false, text: "1" },
		{ fret: 7, string: 2, is_muted: false, text: "3" },
		{ fret: 8, string: 3, is_muted: false, text: "4" },
	]}
	barres={[]}
/>
// → Automatically starts at fret 5, all fingers visible

// Automatically increases fretCount when needed
<ChordDiagram
	autoFirstFret={true}
	fretCount={4}
	fingers={[
		{ fret: 5, string: 1, is_muted: false },
		{ fret: 10, string: 2, is_muted: false },
	]}
	barres={[]}
/>
// → firstFret=5, fretCount increased to 6
// → Console warning: "[ChordDiagram] Auto-increased fretCount from 4 to 6"

Key Features:

Automatically calculates firstFret based on finger positions
Can increase fretCount (up to max of 12) to fit all fingers
Manual firstFret always takes precedence (allows override)
Only activates when fingers are outside visible range (1-fretCount)
Logs console warnings when adjustments are made

Custom Styling

<ChordDiagram
	chord={chordData}
	view="horizontal-left"
	width={200}
	height={250}
	dotColor="#FF5733"
	stringColor="#CCCCCC"
	fontFamily="Arial, sans-serif"
/>

### Selecting Views

```tsx
<ChordDiagram chord={chordData} view="vertical-right" />
<ChordDiagram chord={chordData} view="vertical-left" />

Custom Layout Engine

import { ChordDiagram, layoutRegistry, type LayoutEngine } from "svguitar-react";

const diagonalEngine: LayoutEngine = {
	id: "horizontal-right",
	mapStringAxis: (stringNumber, frame) =>
		frame.gridOriginY + (frame.stringCount - stringNumber) * (frame.gridHeight / (frame.stringCount - 1)),
	mapFretAxis: (fret, frame) => frame.gridOriginX + (fret - frame.firstFret + 0.5) * frame.style.fretWidth,
	fingerPosition: (finger, args) => ({
		cx: args.frame.gridOriginX + (finger.fret - args.frame.firstFret + 0.5) * args.frame.style.fretWidth,
		cy:
			args.frame.gridOriginY +
			(args.frame.stringCount - finger.string) *
				(args.frame.gridHeight / (args.frame.stringCount - 1)) +
			(finger.fret % 2 === 0 ? -6 : 6),
		r: args.frame.style.dotSize / 2,
	}),
	barreRect: (barre, args) => ({
		x: args.frame.gridOriginX + (barre.fret - args.frame.firstFret) * args.frame.style.fretWidth,
		y:
			args.frame.gridOriginY +
			(args.frame.stringCount - barre.toString) *
				(args.frame.gridHeight / (args.frame.stringCount - 1)) -
			args.frame.style.barreHeight / 2,
		width: args.frame.style.fretWidth,
		height:
			Math.abs(barre.toString - barre.fromString) *
				(args.frame.gridHeight / (args.frame.stringCount - 1)) +
			args.frame.style.barreHeight,
		rx: 4,
	}),
	indicatorPosition: (stringNumber, kind, args) => ({
		x: args.frame.gridOriginX - args.frame.style.fretWidth * 0.5,
		y:
			args.frame.gridOriginY +
			(args.frame.stringCount - stringNumber) * (args.frame.gridHeight / (args.frame.stringCount - 1)) -
			args.frame.style.dotSize,
	}),
};

layoutRegistry.register(diagonalEngine);

<ChordDiagram chord={chordData} layoutEngine={diagonalEngine} />;


## API Reference

### ChordDiagramProps

| Prop             | Type                       | Description                                                                     |
| ---------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `chord`          | `Chord`                    | Chord data with fingers and barres                                              |
| `instrument`     | `Partial<Instrument>`      | Instrument configuration for fret notation                                      |
| `view`           | `ViewId`                   | Predefined layout view (`horizontal-right`, `horizontal-left`, `vertical-right`, `vertical-left`) |
| `layoutEngine`   | `LayoutEngine`             | Custom layout strategy (takes precedence over `view`)                           |
| `autoFirstFret`  | `boolean`                  | Automatically adjusts `firstFret` when fingers are outside visible range (default: `false`) |
| `width`/`height` | `number`                   | Total width/height of the SVG                                                   |
| `dotColor`       | `string`                   | Finger dot color                                                                |
| `fontFamily`     | `string`                   | Font family                                                                     |
| ...              | `ChordStyle` properties    | All other styling props inline (colors, spacing, fonts, etc.)                   |

### Chord

```typescript
interface Chord {
	fingers: Finger[];
	barres: Barre[];
	firstFret?: number;
	lastFret?: number;
}

Finger

interface Finger {
	fret: number; // Fret number (1-based)
	string: number; // String number (1-based, 1 = thickest)
	is_muted: boolean; // Whether the string is muted (true => 'X')
	text?: string; // Optional text inside the circle
}

Barre

interface Barre {
	fret: number; // Fret number (1-based)
	fromString: number; // Starting string
	toString: number; // Ending string
	text?: string; // Optional text on the barre
}

### LayoutEngine

```typescript
type ViewId = "horizontal-right" | "horizontal-left" | "vertical-right" | "vertical-left";

interface LayoutFrame {
	width: number;
	height: number;
	gridOriginX: number;
	gridOriginY: number;
	gridWidth: number;
	gridHeight: number;
	firstFret: number;
	stringCount: number;
	fretCount: number;
	style: ChordStyle;
}

interface LayoutEngine {
	id: ViewId;
	mapStringAxis(stringNumber: number, frame: LayoutFrame): number;
	mapFretAxis(fret: number, frame: LayoutFrame): number;
	fingerPosition(finger: Finger, args: { frame: LayoutFrame }): { cx: number; cy: number; r: number };
	barreRect(barre: Barre, args: { frame: LayoutFrame }): {
		x: number;
		y: number;
		width: number;
		height: number;
		rx?: number;
	};
	indicatorPosition(stringNumber: number, kind: "open" | "muted", args: { frame: LayoutFrame }): {
		x: number;
		y: number;
	};
}

// Built-in helpers
import { layoutRegistry, resolveViewId, getLayoutEngine, DEFAULT_VIEW } from "svguitar-react";


## Development

### Prerequisites

- Node.js 18+
- pnpm

### Testing

The project includes comprehensive testing with Vitest:

```bash
# Run all tests (unit + Storybook integration)
pnpm test:run

# Run tests in watch mode
pnpm test:watch

# Run tests with coverage report
pnpm test:coverage

# Run only unit tests with coverage (faster)
pnpm test:coverage:unit

# Run tests with UI
pnpm test:ui
```

**Test Coverage**: The project maintains high test coverage focusing on core library components:
- **Unit Tests**: 25 tests covering components, layouts, and utilities
- **Storybook Tests**: 15 visual and interaction tests
- **Coverage**: 77% overall for core ChordDiagram components

### Setup

```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/svguitar/svguitar-react.git
cd svguitar-react

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

# Start development server
pnpm dev

# Run all tests (unit + Storybook)
pnpm test:run

# Run tests with coverage
pnpm test:coverage

# Run only unit tests with coverage
pnpm test:coverage:unit

# Start Storybook
pnpm storybook

# Build library
pnpm build

Project Structure

src/
├── components/
│   └── ChordDiagram/
│       ├── ChordDiagram.tsx    # Main component
│       ├── types.ts            # TypeScript interfaces
│       ├── utils.ts            # Utility functions
│       ├── constants.ts        # Default values
│       ├── Fretboard.tsx       # Fretboard rendering
│       ├── Finger.tsx          # Finger position rendering
│       ├── Barre.tsx           # Barre rendering
│       ├── TuningLabels.tsx    # Tuning labels
│       └── FretNumbers.tsx     # Fret numbers
├── stories/
│   └── ChordDiagram.stories.tsx # Storybook stories
└── index.ts                    # Library entry point

📚 Documentation & Storybook

Interactive Documentation

Explore all components and features in our interactive Storybook documentation:

🌐 Live Storybook: https://svguitar-react-storybook.vercel.app (Coming soon)

Running Storybook Locally

# Start Storybook development server
pnpm storybook

# Build Storybook for production
pnpm build-storybook

# Preview built Storybook
pnpm preview-storybook

Deploying Storybook

For detailed instructions on deploying Storybook to Vercel, see STORYBOOK_DEPLOY.md.

Quick deploy:

# Deploy preview
pnpm deploy-storybook

# Deploy to production
pnpm deploy-storybook:prod

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guide for details.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a list of changes and version history.

Keywords

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Package last updated on 30 Oct 2025

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Install

svguitar-react