Chord identifier
Press the keys you hear or see and the chord identifier names the chord: its symbol, its notes, and whether it is in root position or an inversion. Free, in the browser, nothing to install.
How to identify a chord on the piano
- Press three or more keys on the keyboard, in any order. Press a key again to let it go.
- Read the name above the keyboard: the chord, its symbol, its notes and whether it is in root position or an inversion.
- The lowest key you press is the bass. Move the bass and the name changes to a slash chord, such as C/E for C major with E at the bottom.
- If the same notes can be read more than one way, the other names are listed underneath.
- Press Play the notes to hear what you have, or follow the link to the chord's page.
How chords are named
A chord is named by its lowest note in root position, the root, and by the gaps above it. Count the half steps from each note to the next: a major chord is 4 then 3, a minor chord 3 then 4. Every type the identifier knows, built on C:
| Chord type | On C | Notes | Formula | Half steps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| major | C | C E G | 1–3–5 | 4 + 3 |
| minor | Cm | C E♭ G | 1–♭3–5 | 3 + 4 |
| dominant 7th | C7 | C E G B♭ | 1–3–5–♭7 | 4 + 3 + 3 |
| major 7th | Cmaj7 | C E G B | 1–3–5–7 | 4 + 3 + 4 |
| minor 7th | Cm7 | C E♭ G B♭ | 1–♭3–5–♭7 | 3 + 4 + 3 |
| suspended 2nd | Csus2 | C D G | 1–2–5 | 2 + 5 |
| suspended 4th | Csus4 | C F G | 1–4–5 | 5 + 2 |
| diminished | Cdim | C E♭ G♭ | 1–♭3–♭5 | 3 + 3 |
| augmented | Caug | C E G♯ | 1–3–♯5 | 4 + 4 |
| add 9 | Cadd9 | C E G D | 1–3–5–9 | 4 + 3 + 7 |
| 6th | C6 | C E G A | 1–3–5–6 | 4 + 3 + 2 |
| dominant 9th | C9 | C E G B♭ D | 1–3–5–♭7–9 | 4 + 3 + 3 + 4 |
| half-diminished 7th | Cm7♭5 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ | 1–♭3–♭5–♭7 | 3 + 3 + 4 |
| diminished 7th | Cdim7 | C E♭ G♭ B𝄫 | 1–♭3–♭5–𝄫7 | 3 + 3 + 3 |
Look up a chord by its notes
The major and minor chords, sorted by their notes in root position. Find your three notes, starting from any of them, and read the name.
- A C EA minor
- A C♯ EA major
- A♭ C E♭Ab major
- B D F♯B minor
- B D♯ F♯B major
- B♭ D FBb major
- B♭ D♭ FBb minor
- C E GC major
- C E♭ GC minor
- C♯ E G♯C# minor
- C♯ E♯ G♯C# major
- D F AD minor
- D F♯ AD major
- E G BE minor
- E G♯ BE major
- E♭ G B♭Eb major
- E♭ G♭ B♭Eb minor
- F A CF major
- F A♭ CF minor
- F♯ A C♯F# minor
- F♯ A♯ C♯F# major
- G B DG major
- G B♭ DG minor
- G♯ B D♯G# minor
Questions
Does the order of the notes matter?
Only the lowest one. C, E and G make C major in any order; with E at the bottom it is C major in 1st inversion, written C/E, and with G at the bottom C/G.
Why does it show more than one name?
Some sets of notes are two chords at once. C, E, G and A is C6 with C in the bass and Am7 with A in the bass; C, D and G is Csus2 or Gsus4. The name that matches the bass comes first.
What if no name appears?
The notes do not form one of the chord types in the table on this page, often because two neighboring keys are pressed, or a note is missing. Check for a stray key, or remove one note at a time.
Does pressing the same note in two octaves change the chord?
No. A C in two octaves is still one note of the chord; doubling notes changes how full it sounds, not its name.