(I’m fully aware that putting a .pdf of blank grilles chord-grids online is borderline stupidity – making one ain’t exactly rocket surgery. I got annoyed because more than once I’ve been unable to quickly print one for students or jams or whatever. At least by putting it on my own site I know I’ll be able to quickly find one no matter where I am. While I’m at it, I figure that as long as I already made the .pdfs, maybe in the future it’ll save someone else the 10mins of using Google Docs to make their own?)
🎸Blank Chord Grille Template.pdf
(* Or click here for The Landscape Version)
Gypsy Jazz, Jazz Manouche, Jazz Tsigane, Sinti Jazz, Hot Club – Whatever you wanna call it…
In this style of music, musicians often share chord-progressions using a visual grid of squares, called a grille, instead of chord symbols written over/above standard sheet music with a five-line 𝄞 staff.
In a typical grille, each line is eight squares wide, with each square representing one measure of music. If a square is split by a /-diagonal line, it means that measure is evenly divided between two chords.
Other than that? The format is relatively informal, so be aware when reading or writing your own chart:
⚠️ There are no universal rules! ⚠️
I’ve seen a variety of shorthands used to indicate repeated chord patterns, measures with three or four chords, section repeats, etc. – People will use various symbols like % percentage signs, dashes, blank or blacked-out squares, even hand-drawn arrows. Of course, with so much personalization, everyone is sure that their own style is the most obvious and clearest way to write the song down. Though clearly the best way is the way that I do it. 😉