What notes make C major?
C, E and G. E is four semitones above C; G is seven above C. Play these three notes simultaneously to hear C major. The same notes in a different order are inversions, not different chords.
YOUR FREE PIANO CHORD STUDIOPiano chords,
Piano chords,
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See every note. Hear every change. Learn the shapes that make music click — one chord at a time.
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29Chord lessons
08Interactive tools
∞Moments to explore
INTERACTIVE CHORD STUDIO
Learn by listening
Hear the harmony.
Tap a chord above to hear a different sound
01 / THE CHORD LIBRARYA little theory.
See all 29 chords A little theory.
A lot of possibility.
Explore familiar shapes, discover their notes and hear how each harmony comes alive.
NEW / PLAY & LEARN
88 piano keys. 120 core chords.
Play a complete virtual keyboard using your computer, mouse or touch—then discover the notes behind each chord.
02 / PLAY & DISCOVERMusic makes more
Music makes more
sense when you play.
Simple tools that take you from “which keys?” to “now I get it.”
01 / DISCOVER
Chord finder
Tap the notes you know. Discover which chords they make.
Find my chord 02 / LISTENInversion explorer
Same notes, new feeling. Hear how moving one note changes everything.
Try inversions 03 / UNDERSTANDChord comparison
Two chords, side by side. See what stays and what moves.
Compare chords03 / BUILD YOUR SKILLSFrom a single note
From a single note
to a song.
Learn the notes in a key, practise four-chord changes, and keep the beat while you play.
01 / LEARN
Scales & Keys
Explore all 12 major and 12 natural minor scales with the diatonic chords in each key.
Explore all scales ↗02 / PLAYChord progressions
Hear and edit four-bar loops with your choice of key, tempo and rhythmic accents.
Build a progression ↗03 / PRACTISEMetronome
Keep time with an accurate browser metronome, adjustable BPM and tap tempo.
Start a steady beat ↗THE ESSENTIALS / START HERE
Understand piano chord diagrams ↗What is a piano chord?
A piano chord is a group of pitches played together or understood as one harmony. A basic major or minor triad has three different notes: a root, a third and a fifth. The interval above the root determines whether the chord sounds major or minor.
How is B minor different from D major?
B minor is B–D–F♯; D major is D–F♯–A. The two chords share D and F♯. Keep those tones and move B to A to hear the change, then rearrange the notes if you want D in the bass.
Is C7 the same as Cmaj7?
No. C7 contains C–E–G–B♭, whereas Cmaj7 contains C–E–G–B natural. A single semitone separates their seventh notes; they can have different functions in a musical key.
These definitions describe pitch classes in twelve-tone equal temperament. For sources, notation rules and limits of the browser instrument, read how Piano Chord Explorer works.
03 / TAKE IT OFFLINEMake room for
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