Chord finder
Tap the notes you are playing on the keyboard and the chord finder names the chord. The lowest note you tap counts as the bass, so inversions come out as slash chords like C/E.
Swipe sideways for more keys.
Keyboard: Tab to the piano, use Left/Right arrows to move by a half step, Home/End for the first/last key, and Enter or Space to select or remove a note.
Tap at least two keys (or three for a full chord).
Tap a key again to remove it. The chord name links to its page with diagrams for guitar, piano and ukulele.
How the chord finder works
A chord name only depends on two things: which note letters are present and which one is at the bottom. The finder takes the keys you've tapped, drops the octaves, and compares the letters to every chord type in the site's library (major, minor, sevenths, sus, add9, sixths, ninths, diminished and augmented, on all 12 roots). If a chord has exactly those notes, it's named. If your lowest note isn't the root, you'll also see the slash-chord name.
Tap only two notes and it lists chords that contain them, which is handy when you hear a bass note and one melody note and want ideas.
Chord formulas: the pattern behind every name
Every chord type is a formula measured from the root. Here they are built on C. Tap a name to hear it; the link opens that chord's page.
| Chord | Type | Formula | Notes on C | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | major | 1 3 5 | C E G | |
| Cm | minor | 1 ♭3 5 | C E♭ G | |
| C7 | dominant seventh | 1 3 5 ♭7 | C E G B♭ | |
| Cmaj7 | major seventh | 1 3 5 7 | C E G B | |
| Cm7 | minor seventh | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | C E♭ G B♭ | |
| Cdim | diminished | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | C E♭ G♭ | |
| Caug | augmented | 1 3 ♯5 | C E G♯ | |
| Csus2 | suspended second | 1 2 5 | C D G | |
| Csus4 | suspended fourth | 1 4 5 | C F G | |
| Cm7♭5 | half-diminished | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ |
Move the same formula to any other root and you get the same chord type there: the G7, A minor and Bm7♭5 pages all work this way. The triads guide explains the four basic three-note chords in more depth.
Inversions and slash chords
An inversion is the same chord with a different note at the bottom. The name stays the same; musicians add a slash and the bass note to show which inversion to play.
C major
- root position: C E G
- 1st inversion: E G C
- 2nd inversion: G C E
A minor
- root position: A C E
- 1st inversion: C E A
- 2nd inversion: E A C
Inversions make chord changes smoother on piano because your hand barely moves, and slash chords like C/G or C/E are how a bass line walks between chords. A slash can also name a bass note that isn't in the chord at all, for example D/C, a D major chord over a C bass.
How to name a chord yourself
- List the letters. Ignore repeats in other octaves. C, E, G, C is just C, E, G.
- Stack them in thirds. Rearrange so each note is two letters above the last: C E G, or D F A C. The bottom of the stack is the root.
- Measure from the root. Count half steps (piano keys) to each note and match the formula: 4 then 7 is major, 3 then 7 is minor, 3 then 6 is diminished, 4 then 8 is augmented.
- Check the bass. If the lowest note you play isn't the root, add a slash and the bass note.
By ear, start with the quality: major chords sound bright and settled, minor darker, dominant 7ths restless (they want to move), diminished tense. The intervals pages let you hear each distance on its own, which is the real skill underneath.
Related tools
Browse every chord by name in the chord library or the piano chord pages. Change the key of a whole chart with the chord transposer, or hear chords in context with the progression builder.
Chord finder questions
How do I find the name of a chord from its notes?
Tap the keys you are playing on the keyboard above and the chord finder names it. By hand: rearrange the notes so they stack in thirds (every other letter). The bottom note of that stack is the root, and the distances above it (the formula) give the chord type.
Why does the finder show more than one name?
Some note sets really do have two names. C6 (C E G A) and Am7 (A C E G) contain the same four notes; the lowest note and the music around it decide which name fits. The finder lists the name whose root is your lowest note first.
What does a slash chord like C/E mean?
The letter before the slash is the chord; the letter after it is the bass note. C/E means a C major chord with E as its lowest note, which is the first inversion of C major.
Can the chord finder work for guitar chords?
Yes. Work out the note on each string you play (the guitar fretboard notes page shows every fret), then tap those notes on the keyboard. The octave does not matter for the name, only which notes are present and which one is lowest.
What if the finder says "no standard chord"?
The notes may include an extra color tone (an 11th or 13th), a cluster, or a note that is not part of any chord in the library. Try removing one note at a time; often one of them is a passing note.
Updated September 2026.