Play a chord into your microphone — guitar, piano, keyboard — and this names it live: the root, the quality and the notes it heard. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
Let the chord ring and hold it for a second. A strong bass note or heavy distortion can confuse the reading.
The tool builds a chromagram from the microphone signal — the amount of energy on each of the twelve pitch classes, C through B, regardless of octave. It then compares that twelve-number fingerprint against a template for every common chord and shows the closest match, smoothed over a short window so a held chord settles on one answer.
This is approximate by nature. Overtones add energy a fifth and a major third above every note played, so a plain triad can read as an added-note chord, and a major chord with a loud root can tip toward its relative minor. Play cleanly and give it a moment.
Once you have the name, its page in the Chord Library shows the notes, piano and guitar shapes and the keys it belongs to. To name a chord from notes you already know, use the Chord Identifier; to find the key of a whole progression, the Chord Progression Analyzer.
1. Press Start listening and allow microphone access. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
2. Play a chord and let it ring — strum once, or hold it down on the piano.
3. Read the result: the root, the quality and the notes the detector heard. If the name flickers, play the chord again and let it settle.
Strum an open G major on guitar: the detector should show G major and list G, B and D. If it reports an added-note chord instead, the strings' overtones are adding energy on extra notes — mute any string that should not sound, play a little softer and let the chord ring for a second.
How does the chord detector work?
It listens through your microphone, builds a chromagram — how much energy sits on each of
the twelve pitch classes — and matches that against chord templates, showing the closest
fit. It updates a few times a second and averages over a short window so a held chord
settles on one answer.
Is my audio recorded or sent anywhere?
No. The microphone stream is analysed in your browser and never leaves your device. Nothing
is recorded, stored or uploaded. Close the tab and the microphone is released.
Why is it sometimes wrong?
Pitch-class matching from a live signal is approximate. Overtones, a strong bass note, room
noise or a muddy voicing can push it to a near neighbour — a major chord read as its
relative minor, a 7th read as the triad. Play cleanly, let the chord ring, and give it a
second to settle.
Which instruments work best?
Piano and keyboards give the cleanest reading because every note is steady and in tune.
Acoustic and clean electric guitar work well. Distorted guitar is hard to read, because
distortion adds strong overtones that look like extra notes.
Can it find the chords of a whole song?
No. It names the chord you are playing right now, one at a time. A full recording mixes
voice, drums and bass, which this detector is not built to separate. To find the key and
numerals of a progression you already know, use the Chord Analyzer.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in a modern mobile browser that allows microphone access. Hold the phone close to the
instrument and away from other sound sources.