diff --git a/src/chordpro/base.py b/src/chordpro/base.py
index f925f33..96ffc6f 100644
--- a/src/chordpro/base.py
+++ b/src/chordpro/base.py
@@ -30,18 +30,13 @@ class Directive(object):
             return None
         for known_directive in KNOWN_DIRECTIVES:
             if match.group(1) in known_directive:
-                self.directive = match.group(1)
+                self.directive = known_directive[0]
                 self.info = match.group(2)
 
     @staticmethod
     def is_directive(line):
         """Check if a line in a file contains a directive"""
-        match = DIRECTIVE.match(line)
-        if match:
-            for known_directive in KNOWN_DIRECTIVES:
-                if match.group(1) in known_directive:
-                    return True
-        return False
+        return DIRECTIVE.match(line) is not None
 
 
 class Syllable(object):
diff --git a/src/chordpro/constants.py b/src/chordpro/constants.py
index 633a649..3916a4f 100644
--- a/src/chordpro/constants.py
+++ b/src/chordpro/constants.py
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ KNOWN_DIRECTIVES = [
     ('tempo',),
     ('duration',),
     ('capo',),
-    ('meta',)
+    ('meta',),
+    ('comment', 'c')
 ]
 KNOWN_VERSE_TYPES = [
     'verse',
@@ -29,9 +30,10 @@ GERMAN_NOTES = '[CDEFGAH]'
 NEOLATIN_NOTES = '(Do|Re|Mi|Fa|Sol|La|Si)'
 CHORD_SUFFIXES = '(b|bb)?(#)?(m|maj7|maj|min7|min|sus)?(1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9)?'
 SLIM_CHARS = 'fiíIÍjlĺľrtť.,;/ ()|"\'!:\\'
-DIRECTIVE = re.compile(r'\{(.*?): *(.*?)\}')
+DIRECTIVE = re.compile(r'\{(' + '|'.join([d for t in KNOWN_DIRECTIVES for d in t]) + r'): *(.*?)\}')
 START_OF = re.compile(r'\{start_of_(' + '|'.join(KNOWN_VERSE_TYPES) + r')(: *(.*?))?\}')
 END_OF = re.compile(r'\{end_of_(' + '|'.join(KNOWN_VERSE_TYPES) + r')\}')
 CHORUS_MARKER = re.compile(r'\{chorus(: *(.*?))?\}')
+VERSE_MARKER = re.compile(r'\{verse: *(.*?)\}')
 CHORD_WORD = re.compile(r'(.*?)\[(.*?)\]')
 CHORD = re.compile(r'\[(.*?)\]')