HelpCalc Music

Piano Chord Identifier

Keyboard
C3C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C4C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C5C
Identified Chord
Tap the keyboard to identify a chord.
Exporting chord on Piano in
Instrument: Piano

How to Use the Piano Chord Identifier

  1. Tap the piano keys to toggle notes on and off. Active notes light up, colored by their interval from the root, and show their note name.
  2. The chord name appears instantly as you add notes, along with alternate readings, intervals, and compatible scales.
  3. Every note you add or remove plays the full chord so you can hear how it sounds.
  4. Hit Clear to start over with a blank keyboard.

Understanding Piano Chords

A chord is three or more notes played together. On piano, chords are built by pressing combinations of keys. The distance between notes (measured in semitones, the smallest step on a keyboard) determines the chord's quality: major, minor, diminished, augmented, and dozens of extended and altered types.

On piano each note has one place, so a chord's shape is easy to see. Guitar can place the same chord in many spots.

Common Piano Chord Shapes

  • Major triad (e.g. C): Root + 4 semitones + 3 semitones. Bright and stable. C major = C-E-G.
  • Minor triad (e.g. Am): Root + 3 semitones + 4 semitones. Darker, emotional. A minor = A-C-E.
  • Seventh chords (e.g. G7, Cmaj7): Add a fourth note. Dominant 7ths want to resolve; major 7ths sound dreamy and jazzy.
  • Suspended chords (e.g. Dsus4): Replace the 3rd with a 2nd or 4th. Creates tension that wants to resolve.
  • Diminished and Augmented: Diminished is a minor 3rd and a flat 5th. Augmented is a major 3rd and a sharp 5th. Both are usually passing chords.

Inversions

When the lowest note is a chord tone other than the root, the chord is an inversion. C/E is first inversion and C/G is second. C/D is a slash chord but not an inversion, because D is not in a C triad. On piano, inversions are created by moving the bottom note up an octave. The chord identifier shows these as slash chords.

Inversions are essential for smooth voice leading. They let you move between chords without big jumps in the bass.

  • Try C, F and G in the right hand with minimal movement: C-E-G, C-F-A, B-D-G. The tool reads those as C, F/C and G/B.
  • Jazz pianists often leave the root to the bass. F-A-B-E is a G13 sound in the left hand, and the tool will call it Fmaj7#11 because it has no G to go on.
  • Keep close 3rds above about C3 in the left hand. Below that they sound muddy.
  • Bdim7, Ddim7, Fdim7 and G#dim7 are the same four keys. Only the bass and the resolution tell them apart.

Scales That Fit Your Chord

Once a chord is identified, the tool shows compatible scales, scales whose notes include all of the chord's notes. Use it for:

  • Improvising a melody over a chord
  • Writing a bass line that fits harmonically
  • Understanding which notes are “safe” to play alongside a chord

Chord tones are highlighted in bold within each scale so you can see exactly where the chord sits inside the scale pattern.

Frequently Asked Questions

What chord am I playing on piano?

Tap the keys on the interactive keyboard to match the notes you're pressing on your real piano. The identifier analyzes the pitch classes and shows the most likely chord name plus alternatives.

Why does it show multiple chord names?

Some combinations of notes can be interpreted as different chords. A-C-E-G could be Am7 (A minor 7th) or C6 (C major 6th). The identifier ranks readings by likelihood and shows the most common interpretation first.

What's a slash chord?

A chord written as X/Y means chord X with note Y in the bass. C/E is C major with E as the lowest note, a first-inversion C chord. Slash chords appear when the bass note isn't the chord's root.

Can I use this for keyboard or synthesizer?

Yes. Chords work the same on any keyboard instrument. Piano, electric piano, organ, synth. If it has keys, this tool identifies the chords.

What does “compatible scales” mean?

A compatible scale contains all the notes of the chord, but not every scale note sits equally well. Over Cmaj7 in C major, F clashes with the E if you hold it. Land on chord tones and pass through the others. The highlighted notes are the chord tones themselves.

Is this tool free?

Yes. Everything runs in your browser, with no signup or downloads.

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