Reading a bar

Every bar has 4 beats. The symbols written in the bar split the 4 beats evenly, and the dot . extends the chord before it by one part.

Take Em . D C. That is 4 symbols, so each one is worth 1 beat:

beat	1	2	3	4
symbol	Em	.	D	C
plays	Em	Em (held)	D	C

So: Em for 2 beats, D for 1, C for 1. In the graphical editor just hover over the bar: Em 2 beats · D 1 · C 1, and in the player strip Em takes half the box.

Written	Meaning
\| A7 \|	A7 for the whole bar
\| A7 D7 \|	two chords: 2 beats each
\| C G Am F \|	one chord per beat
\| Em . D C \|	Em 2 beats, D 1, C 1
\| C . . G \|	C 3 beats, G 1
\| C G F \|	three chords: 1⅓ beats each (possible but unusual)
\| % \|	repeats the previous bar
\| N.C. \|	no guitar, the drums go on

Common mistakes, with the message you get:

You write	Problem	Fix
. D	the . extends the previous chord, so it cannot open the bar	D or Em . D C
am	the root must be uppercase	Am
H7	in English notation Ti is B	B7
% as first bar	there is no previous bar to repeat	write the chord
A B C D E	more than 4 symbols (one per beat at most)	split it over two bars