Chord Finder
Pick a root and chord type or type a name like Am7 or F#m7b5 to see playable guitar diagrams, the notes on a piano and the chord formula, then hear it strummed. Or click notes to find a chord's name. Everything runs in your browser.
Guitar chord diagrams (standard tuning, click a diagram to hear it)
x = don't play the string, o = open string, bar = barre with one finger. Number on the left = the fret the diagram starts at.
Piano
Click piano keys or type notes (lowest note first) and find out which chord they make, including inversions and slash chords.
How to use the Chord Finder
- Choose a root note (click a black-key root twice to switch between sharp and flat spelling) and a chord type.
- Or type a chord such as Bbmaj7, C#m7b5 or G/B and press Find chord.
- Read the diagrams: vertical lines are strings (low E on the left), dots show where to press, × means don't play the string.
- Press Play chord or click any diagram to hear that voicing; Arpeggio plays the notes one by one.
- Name an unknown chord on the second tab: click the keys or type the notes, lowest note first, and press Find chord name.
Chord formulas at a glance
Every chord type is a fixed pattern of intervals above the root. Count the semitones (one fret on the guitar, or the next key on the piano, black or white) to build any chord in any key.
| Chord | Formula | Semitones from root | Example in C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 3 5 | 0 4 7 | C E G |
| Minor (m) | 1 ♭3 5 | 0 3 7 | C E♭ G |
| Dominant 7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | 0 4 7 10 | C E G B♭ |
| Major 7 (maj7) | 1 3 5 7 | 0 4 7 11 | C E G B |
| Minor 7 (m7) | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | 0 3 7 10 | C E♭ G B♭ |
| Suspended 2 / 4 | 1 2 5 / 1 4 5 | 0 2 7 / 0 5 7 | C D G / C F G |
| Diminished (dim) | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | 0 3 6 | C E♭ G♭ |
| Diminished 7 (dim7) | 1 ♭3 ♭5 𝄫7 | 0 3 6 9 | C E♭ G♭ B𝄫 |
| Half-diminished (m7♭5) | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | 0 3 6 10 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ |
| Augmented (aug) | 1 3 ♯5 | 0 4 8 | C E G♯ |
| Major 6 / minor 6 | 1 3 5 6 / 1 ♭3 5 6 | 0 4 7 9 / 0 3 7 9 | C E G A / C E♭ G A |
| Dominant 9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | 0 4 7 10 14 | C E G B♭ D |
| Add 9 | 1 3 5 9 | 0 4 7 14 | C E G D |
| 7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | 0 5 7 10 | C F G B♭ |
Open chords vs. barre chords
Open chords use unfretted strings and sit in the first three or four frets: the classic beginner shapes C (x32010), A (x02220), G (320003), E (022100), D (xx0232), Am (x02210), Em (022000) and Dm (xx0231). They ring out fully and are the easiest to learn.
Barre chords replace the nut with your index finger, so one shape can be moved to any fret. The E-shape barre has its root on the low E string (F major is 133211, move it up two frets for G), and the A-shape barre has its root on the A string (B♭ major is x13331). Learn the root names on those two strings and you can play any major or minor chord anywhere on the neck.
Tips for finding the right voicing
- Choose voicings close together on the neck so you don't jump between positions when changing chords.
- Muted strings matter: in a shape like xx0232 for D, not playing the low strings keeps the root in the bass and the chord clear.
- For a slash chord such as G/B or D/F♯, type it in the chord box: the finder puts the named note in the bass.
- Played a capo? Use the Guitar Tuner first, and the Metronome to practice smooth chord changes in time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read a guitar chord diagram?
The six vertical lines are the strings, from the low E string on the left to the high E string on the right (mirrored in left-handed mode). Horizontal lines are frets. A dot means press that string at that fret, an o above the nut means play the string open, and × means mute or skip it. A bar across several strings is a barre played with one finger. If the diagram does not start at the nut, the number on the left (for example 5fr) is the fret of the top row.
Why does the tool show several shapes for one chord?
Every chord can be played in many places on the neck. The finder searches all fingerings in standard tuning that have the root in the bass, contain all essential chord tones, span at most four frets and need no more than four fingers (a barre counts as one). It then shows the easiest open shape plus movable barre shapes higher up, so you can pick the one that fits your song.
What is the difference between C7, Cmaj7 and Cm7?
C7 (dominant seventh) is C–E–G–B♭: a major triad plus a minor seventh. Cmaj7 is C–E–G–B: a major triad plus a major seventh, which sounds softer and jazzier. Cm7 is C–E♭–G–B♭: a minor triad plus a minor seventh.
Why is a note sometimes written as a sharp and sometimes as a flat?
Chord tones are spelled from the root by interval, so each third, fifth and seventh uses the correct letter. That is why E♭m contains G♭ (not F♯) and the diminished seventh of C♯dim7 is B♭. Click a black-key root a second time to switch between, for example, D♭ and C♯.
Can I find the name of a chord from its notes?
Yes. Open the Name a chord from notes tab, click the keys or type the notes with the lowest note first (for example E G C), and press Find chord name. It lists exact matches first, then inversions (C/E), chords with the fifth left out and slash chords with an added bass note.
Can a guitar chord leave out a note?
Yes. The perfect fifth is the least important tone and is often dropped, especially in seventh and ninth chords where a guitar cannot comfortably play five different notes. The root, third (or suspended note), seventh and other color tones define the chord, so the finder always keeps those.
Is the sound a real guitar recording?
No. The guitar is synthesized with the Karplus-Strong plucked-string algorithm and the piano with simple oscillators, directly in your browser with the Web Audio API. Nothing is downloaded or uploaded.