This chord identifier names a chord from its notes. Tap the keys on the piano above, play the chord on a MIDI keyboard, or type the notes, and it shows the chord symbol, whether the chord is in root position or an inversion, its bass note and its degrees. When the same notes can be named another way, those names are listed too.
It opens on C, E, G and B, a C major seventh chord. Tap any key to start your own chord.
How the identifier names a chord
A chord name has a root, a quality and sometimes a bass note. The identifier tries every note you chose as the root. For each one it checks whether the notes match a chord type it knows: every note of that chord must be there, and nothing else. A sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh or thirteenth chord may leave out its perfect fifth, as pianists and guitarists often do.
It then puts the readings in order. Common chords come first. A reading whose root is the lowest note comes before an inversion. A reading with the fifth left out comes after a complete one. Octaves and repeated notes count once, so C E G C is still a C major chord.
Inversions and slash chords
The lowest note you play is the bass. When the bass is not the root, the chord is inverted, and the symbol adds the bass after a slash:
| Keys, low to high | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| C E G | C | root position |
| E G C | C/E | first inversion |
| G C E | C/G | second inversion |
| B♭ C E G | C7/B♭ | third inversion |
The first inversion has the third in the bass, the second the fifth, and the third inversion (of a seventh chord) the seventh. Other bass notes are named directly, such as "the 9th in the bass".
When the same notes have two names
Some chords share their notes. C E G A is a C sixth chord, and the same keys spell A minor seventh with C in the bass. D F A C is D minor seventh or F sixth over D. Which name is right depends on the music around it, so the identifier shows the likely one first and the others under Also read as.
A diminished seventh chord is built from equal steps, so each of its four notes can be the root: C E♭ G♭ B𝄫 is also D♯, F♯ and A diminished seventh. An augmented triad works the same way with three notes.
Chords it knows
These are the chords the identifier names, shown on C:
| Chord | Symbol | Notes on C |
|---|---|---|
| Major | C | C E G |
| Minor | Cm | C E♭ G |
| Diminished | Cdim | C E♭ G♭ |
| Augmented | Caug | C E G♯ |
| Suspended second | Csus2 | C D G |
| Suspended fourth | Csus4 | C F G |
| Major sixth | C6 | C E G A |
| Minor sixth | Cm6 | C E♭ G A |
| Dominant seventh | C7 | C E G B♭ |
| Major seventh | Cmaj7 | C E G B |
| Minor seventh | Cm7 | C E♭ G B♭ |
| Half-diminished seventh | Cm7♭5 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ |
| Diminished seventh | Cdim7 | C E♭ G♭ B𝄫 |
| Minor major seventh | Cm(maj7) | C E♭ G B |
| Seventh suspended fourth | C7sus4 | C F G B♭ |
| Added ninth | Cadd9 | C E G D |
| Six-nine | C6/9 | C E G A D |
| Dominant ninth | C9 | C E G B♭ D |
| Major ninth | Cmaj9 | C E G B D |
| Minor ninth | Cm9 | C E♭ G B♭ D |
| Seventh flat nine | C7♭9 | C E G B♭ D♭ |
| Seventh sharp nine | C7♯9 | C E G B♭ D♯ |
| Augmented seventh | C7♯5 | C E G♯ B♭ |
| Minor eleventh | Cm11 | C E♭ G B♭ F |
| Major seventh sharp eleven | Cmaj7♯11 | C E G B F♯ |
| Dominant thirteenth | C13 | C E G B♭ D A |
It also knows the minor added ninth, minor six-nine, added fourth, ninth suspended fourth, seventh flat five, augmented major seventh, dominant eleventh, seventh sharp eleven, major thirteenth and minor thirteenth. To see how any of the common chords are played, the piano chords page shows each one with its fingering and inversions.
C♯ or D♭?
A black key has two names, and a chord uses whichever one its letters need. When you type notes, the identifier keeps your spelling for the root: type C# E# G# and it answers C♯ major, spelled C♯ E♯ G♯. When you tap keys, it picks the spelling that reads most easily, so F♯ A♯ C♯ E is F♯7 rather than G♭7 with an F♭. The other notes follow from the root, the way a written chord spells them.
Use it with the other tools
Found a chord you like? Put it in a sequence with the chord progression generator, or write it down in the sheet music maker. The identifier names one chord at a time from the keys you choose; it does not listen to audio or name chords in a recording.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the name of a chord?
Tap its keys on the piano on this page, play it on a MIDI keyboard, or type the notes. The identifier names the chord, says which inversion it is in and lists any other names the same notes have.
Why does it show more than one name?
Some groups of notes have two correct names. C E G A is a C sixth chord, and also an A minor seventh with C in the bass. The name depends on which note you hear as the root, so the identifier lists the most likely first and the others below it.
What does a slash in a chord name mean, like C/E?
The note after the slash is the bass, the lowest note. C/E is a C major chord with E at the bottom, which is its first inversion.
Can it name a chord with a note left out?
Yes, for the perfect fifth of a sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh or thirteenth chord, which players often leave out: C E B♭ is a C7 without the 5th. Other notes have to be there for a chord to be named.
Does it work for guitar chords?
Yes. Type the notes of the guitar chord from the lowest string up, leaving out repeated notes if you like, and the identifier names it the same way.
Is the chord identifier free?
Yes. It is free, needs no account, and runs in your browser.