[sciurius]

I'm actually not typing it in. I use a program to convert screen scrapes. I highlight the key, and press "Key" in the sidebar and it formats the data as a chordPro directive.

Correction: "as a custom, ChordPro-style, directive."

IMHO removing abbreviations, whose use seems to be pretty widespread, will not benefit the standard

The current standard does not have the "key" directive, nor any abbreviation for it. It's a new directive.

The reason I encourage the use of full keywords is that abbreviations quickly become confusing. For example, {artist:...} and {album:...} are clear, but what is {a:...} ?

Anyway, ChordPro is an advisory standard, everyone is free to implement it the way she sees fit. But I think we all benefit from trying to stick as close to the standard as possible, or convenient.

That program uses abbreviations and is out of my control.

Have you considered contacting the author?