Learn Chords — Beginner to Expert
A structured guide to learning guitar, piano, ukulele, and bass chords. Start with open chords and progress through barre chords, extended harmony, and jazz voicings at your own pace.
Guided courses
Self-paced programs that sequence lessons, quizzes, and practice tools into one clear path. Follow a course a day at a time.
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🎸Course · 30 days
30-Day Beginner Guitarist
Beginner · Guitar
A guided 30-day program that takes you from your first chord to playing real progressions with steady rhythm. One focused day at a time, with a streak to keep you coming back.
- Start course
🎵Course · 14 days
Bass Fundamentals
Beginner · Bass
A guided 14-day program that takes a bassist from reading a fretboard diagram to outlining chord progressions with arpeggios and steady rhythm. One focused day at a time, with a streak to keep you coming back.
- Start course
🌺Course · 14 days
Ukulele Fundamentals
Beginner · Ukulele
A guided 14-day program that takes a ukulele player from reading a fretboard diagram to playing your first I–V–vi–IV progression with steady strumming. One focused day at a time, with a streak to keep you coming back.
- Start course
🎹Course · 14 days
Piano Fundamentals
Beginner · Piano
A guided 14-day program that takes a piano/keyboard player from reading a keyboard diagram to playing your first I–V–vi–IV progression with proper hand position and fingering. One focused day at a time, with a streak to keep you coming back.
- Start course
🎷Course · 28 days
Jazz Chord Fundamentals
Intermediate · Guitar
A 28-day guided path from seventh-chord theory through jazz voicings, extended and altered colors, and the ii–V–I cadence that defines the idiom. For the guitarist who already knows open chords and wants a structured entry into jazz harmony. Self-paced, with a daily streak.
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👂Course · 6 stages
Progressive Ear Training Course
Beginner to Advanced · Any Instrument
A guided six-stage path that takes you from single intervals to full chord-progressions-by-ear. Each stage builds on the prior one and links to chordlookup.com's interactive ear-training tools.
Open Chords
Beginner1–2 weeks
Your first chords
Start with open chords — the foundation of guitar, piano, ukulele, and bass playing. These chords use simple finger positions and are playable within minutes. Focus on clean fretting and smooth transitions between shapes.
Recommended tools
Barre Chords & Sevenths
Intermediate2–4 weeks
Expanding your vocabulary
unlock every key on the fretboard. add color and tension to your progressions. Master these to play thousands of songs and understand common song structures.
Recommended tools
Extended & Altered Chords
Advanced4–8 weeks
Richer harmony
Extended chords (9ths, ) and altered chords (, ) add sophisticated color to your playing. These chords appear in jazz, R&B, neo-soul, and progressive rock.
Recommended tools
Jazz Voicings & Advanced Harmony
ExpertOngoing
Mastery territory
Jazz voicings, 7ths, chords, and extensions form the language of jazz and advanced contemporary music. These chords demand precise finger control and deep theory understanding.
Recommended tools
The fundamentals of chords, from what they are to how they're used in real music.
Fundamentals
20The essentials — what chords are, how to read them, and your first shapes.
Chord Progressions
6How chords connect into songs — common progressions, analysis, and songwriting.
Music Theory
21Scales, harmony, chord qualities, and the concepts behind richer playing.
Ear Training
5Train your ear to recognize intervals, qualities, and progressions by sound.
Voicings
4Jazz and advanced chord voicings — drop, shell, quartal, and chord-melody arranging.
Technique
19Playing techniques — strumming, picking, fingerstyle, harmonics, and more.
Test your chord, scale, and ear training skills with interactive quizzes.
Essential Chord Recognition Quiz
Listen to one of the 8 essential beginner open chords (C, G, D, Am, Em, E, A, Dm) and identify it by name. Train your ear to recognize the first chords every player learns.
Essential Chord Diagram Identification Quiz
See a fretboard diagram of one of the 8 essential beginner open chords and name it. Builds the visual recognition that lets you read chord charts and tab at a glance.
Barre Chord Shape Identification Quiz
See a fretboard diagram of a movable major barre chord and identify whether it is an E-shape or an A-shape. Builds the visual vocabulary you need to read barre chord charts at a glance.
Barre Chord Root Finder Quiz
See a movable barre chord diagram and identify the root note name. The skill that lets you name any barre chord on sight by locating the index-finger fret on the root string.
CAGED Shape Identification Quiz
See a fretboard diagram of a movable chord voicing and identify which of the five CAGED forms it is — C, A, G, E, or D. Builds the visual recognition that lets you navigate the entire fretboard by mapping any chord to its five interlocking shapes.
Power Chord Root Finder Quiz
See a two-note power chord shape on a fretboard diagram and identify its root note. The skill that lets you name any movable power chord on sight by locating the index-finger fret on the E or A string.
Chord Tone Quiz
Test your knowledge of chord construction. Which notes belong to each chord?
Chord Spelling Quiz
The fundamental theory skill: given a chord name, can you identify all the correct notes? Each result links to the chord detail page for deeper study.
Chord Spelling Bee
The deepest ear training challenge: listen to a mystery chord and identify every note by ear. No chord name shown — pure auditory recognition.
Build a Scale
Practice building major and natural minor scales step by step. The formula is always shown as a reference — learn the patterns by doing.
Scale Construction Quiz
Practice building scales from scratch with step-by-step guidance. 12 scale types across three difficulty levels — from major and minor to modes and exotic scales.
Scale Degree Quiz
Given a scale name, select the correct notes from a chromatic grid. Tests your knowledge of scale degree positions across major, minor, modal, and exotic scales.
Scale Degree Identification
Given a chord and a key, identify its scale degree. Tests your understanding of diatonic harmony and Roman numeral analysis.
Scale Degree Ear Training
Hear a note within a key context and identify its scale degree by ear. A foundational ear training skill for improvisation, transcription, and sight-singing.
Key Signature Identification
Given a key signature (number of sharps or flats), identify the key. Tests your knowledge of the circle of fifths and major/minor key relationships.
Interval Identification Quiz
Train your ear to identify musical intervals. Hear two notes and name the distance between them.
Voicing Comparison Quiz
Can you hear the difference between two voicings of the same chord? Train your ear to distinguish open position from barre chords and inversions.
Name That Progression
Listen to a chord progression and identify its Roman numeral pattern by ear. The most practical ear training skill for any musician.
Progression Building Exercise
Read the Roman numeral prompt and click the correct diatonic chords to build the progression from scratch. The synthesis step that bridges theory and practice.
Drag & Drop Chord Builder
Build chords by dragging notes onto the correct piano keys. Start with major triads and progress to extended chords as your skills grow.
Fretboard Note Quiz
Find all positions of a given note on the guitar fretboard. Builds fretboard fluency by connecting note names to physical locations.
Chord Function Identification
Hear a chord progression and identify the diatonic function of a highlighted chord. Train your ear to recognize I, IV, V, and other scale degrees in context.
Theory Fundamentals Quiz
Test your knowledge of note names, intervals, scales, key signatures, and chord construction in one comprehensive quiz. Choose your categories and track your progress.
Transposition Exercise
Practice transposing chord progressions to different keys. Choose a difficulty level, read the source progression, and write the transposed chords. Builds practical transposition fluency.
Seventh Chord Quality Identification Quiz
See a seventh chord symbol (G7, Cmaj7, Am7, Bm7♭5, Cdim7) and identify which of the five quality families it belongs to. Tests the chord-symbol reading skill that unlocks jazz, blues, and soul lead sheets.
Chord Inversion Identification Quiz
See a slash chord symbol (C/E, G/B, C/G, C7/B♭) and identify its inversion — root position, first, second, or third. Builds the slash-chord reading skill you need for pop, soul, and jazz lead sheets.
Tritone Substitution Identification Quiz
See a dominant 7th chord (G7, C7, D7, E7, A7, B7) and identify its tritone substitute. Builds the chord-equivalence skill that unlocks jazz reharmonization and ii–V–I variations.
Suspended Chord Quality Identification Quiz
See a chord symbol (Dsus4, Asus2, C, Am, Gsus4, and more) with its fretboard diagram and audio, then identify which of four quality families it belongs to: Major, Minor, Suspended 2nd (sus2), or Suspended 4th (sus4). Builds the symbol-to-quality reading skill you need for pop, rock, folk, and lead-sheet playing.
Extended Chord Quality Identification Quiz
See an extended chord symbol (Cmaj9, C9, Cm9, C13, and more) with its fretboard diagram and audio, then identify which of four extended-quality families it belongs to: Major 9th (maj9), Dominant 9th (9), Minor 9th (m9), or Dominant 13th (13). Builds the symbol-to-quality reading skill you need for jazz, R&B, soul, and neo-soul lead sheets.
Altered Chord Quality Identification Quiz
Hear an altered dominant chord (C7♭9, C7♯5, C7♯11, C7alt, and more) with its fretboard diagram, then identify which of four altered-quality families it belongs to: Flat 9 (♭9), Sharp 5 (♯5), Sharp 11 (♯11), or Altered (alt — the umbrella family). Builds the symbol-to-quality reading skill you need for jazz, fusion, and modern gospel lead sheets.
Songwriting Decision-Making Quiz
Read a songwriting goal — bittersweet bridge, singer can't reach the high note, final chorus needs maximum lift — and pick the harmonic move that fits best. Five questions per round. Tests the application layer (when to reach for each tool), not ear training or symbol reading.
Drop Voicing Identification Quiz
See a 7th chord in closed position and its drop-voicing result, then identify which note was dropped down an octave. Tests the analytical skill behind drop-2 and drop-3 construction — the backbone of jazz comping and chord-melody arrangement. Five questions per round with fretboard diagrams and audio.
Shell Voicing Identification Quiz
See a 3-note shell voicing fretboard diagram and identify which chord quality it represents — major 7th, dominant 7th, or minor 7th. Tests the visual recognition skill behind jazz comping with root–3rd–7th shapes. Five questions per round with fretboard diagrams and audio.
Quartal vs Tertian Voicing Identification Quiz
See and hear a voicing and identify whether it is built from stacked perfect fourths (quartal) or stacked thirds (tertian). Tests the ear and eye for the open, ambiguous sound of modal jazz comping versus the clear functional sound of traditional harmony. Five questions per round with fretboard diagrams and audio.
Neapolitan Chord Identification Quiz
Read a chord progression and identify whether it contains a Neapolitan chord (♭II major triad). Tests the harmonic-recognition skill behind classical cadences and jazz reharmonization — the pre-dominant color used by Beethoven, Mozart, and modern film scoring. Five questions per round.
Jazz ii–V–I Identification Quiz
Listen to a ii–V–I progression and identify whether it is a major ii–V–I (resolving to a major 7th) or a minor ii–V–i (resolving to a minor 7th). Trains the ear for the most important cadence in jazz, bossa nova, and modern harmony. Five questions per round.
Blues Variation Identification Quiz
Read a 12-bar chord sequence and identify which blues form it is — basic, quick-change, minor blues, or not a blues form. Tests the pattern-recognition skill behind the most influential progression in blues, rock, and jazz. Five questions per round.
Augmented Sixth Chord Identification Quiz
Read a chord spelled out by its notes and identify whether it is an augmented-sixth chord (Italian, French, or German sixth) and which form it takes. Tests the construction and spelling skill behind the pre-dominant color used by Beethoven, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky — the augmented-sixth interval that resolves outward to the dominant. Five questions per round.
Strumming Pattern Identification Quiz
See a down/up (D/U) strumming grid and identify its time signature or which common pattern it represents. Tests the rhythm-reading skill behind every pop, folk, country, and reggae strum — the foundation that turns known chords into actual accompaniment. Five questions per round.
Arpeggio Identification Quiz
See a sequence of notes spelled out one at a time and identify which arpeggio family it belongs to — major triad, minor triad, dominant 7th, major 7th, or minor 7th. Tests the chord-tone recognition skill behind every improvised solo, melodic fill, and walking bass line — the foundation that turns known chords into lead playing. Five questions per round.
Standard Notation Identification Quiz
See a note on the treble clef staff and identify its pitch name, or see a rhythm pattern and identify its time signature. Tests the staff-reading skill that unlocks sheet music, fake books, and communication with non-guitarist musicians — the fourth leg of the notation-reading quartet. Five questions per round.
Chord Chart Identification Quiz
Read a chord chart snippet and identify the section marker, repeat navigation (D.S./D.C./Coda), slash chord bass note, or rhythm-slash meaning. Tests the synthesis skill that lets you sit down with a lead sheet and perform it cold — the practical application of chord-symbol reading, diagram recognition, and form literacy combined. Five questions per round.
Alternate Tuning Identification Quiz
See a tuning's open-string pitches or read a genre description and identify which of four alternate tunings it is — Drop D, Open G, Open D, or DADGAD. Tests the recognition skill behind the most-searched guitar tunings and the entry point for slide, folk, Celtic, and heavy-rock playing. Five questions per round.
Hybrid Picking Identification Quiz
See a finger-stroke pattern (p, i, m, a) or read a technique description and identify which right-hand move it is — pinch, forward banjo roll, reverse banjo roll, or chicken pickin'. Tests the pattern-recognition skill behind country, rockabilly, and modern country-rock lead guitar — the third fundamental right-hand technique after strumming and fingerpicking. Five questions per round.
Slides and String Bends Identification Quiz
See a tab snippet (slash, b, r) or read a technique description and identify which left-hand pitch-shift move it is — legato slide, portamento slide, slide-in/slide-out, half-step bend, full-step bend, pre-bend, or release-bend. Tests the recognition skill behind every expressive blues, rock, and country lead phrase — the two primary left-hand techniques that make a sustained note sing. Five questions per round.
Hammer-Ons, Pull-Offs & Legato Identification Quiz
See a tab snippet (h, p, tr) or read a technique description and identify which left-hand legato move it is — hammer-on, pull-off, hammer-on from open, pull-off to open, legato run, or trill. Tests the recognition skill behind every fast, fluid lead line in rock, blues, and jazz — the two primary left-hand techniques that produce smooth, un-picked notes. Five questions per round.
Guitar Harmonics Identification Quiz
Read a description of how a harmonic is produced or identify the fret that produces a given harmonic pitch and name which harmonic technique it is — natural harmonic, artificial harmonic, pinch harmonic, or tap harmonic. Tests the recognition skill behind the bell-like overtone vocabulary used across ambient, jazz, rock, and metal lead guitar. Five questions per round.
Sweep Picking Identification Quiz
Read a description of a picking motion or a muting scenario and identify which right-hand technique it is — sweep picking (single-stroke multi-string), alternate picking, economy picking, or hybrid picking — or name the muting error (chord bleed, missed lift, late press). Tests the recognition skill behind fast fluid arpeggio lead guitar in neoclassical metal, shred, and jazz-fusion. Five questions per round.
Vibrato Technique Identification Quiz
Read a description of a vibrato motion or a genre-styling scenario and identify which vibrato technique it is — wrist vibrato, finger vibrato, delayed vibrato — or name the speed-width combination (slow-wide, fast-narrow, medium-consistent). Tests the recognition skill behind the most personal expressive technique a guitarist develops. Five questions per round.
Fingerpicking Pattern Identification Quiz
See a PIMA finger-stroke grid (p = thumb, i = index, m = middle, a = ring) or read a technique description and identify which fingerpicking pattern it is — basic arpeggio, Travis picking (alternating bass), forward roll, reverse roll, or 6/8 ballad pattern. Tests the pattern-recognition skill behind folk, country, singer-songwriter, and acoustic blues fingerstyle guitar. Five questions per round.
Two-Handed Tapping Identification Quiz
Read a description of a tapping motion or a scenario and identify which technique it is — two-handed tapping (tap-on), single-finger tapping, two-finger tapping, three-finger tapping — or distinguish a tap-on from a hammer-on, identify tapped harmonics, and name the muting or gain considerations. Tests the recognition skill behind rapid wide-interval arpeggio cascades in hard rock, metal, neoclassical, and shred lead guitar. Five questions per round.
Chord-Melody Arranging Identification Quiz
Read a description of an arranging principle or a voicing-selection scenario and identify the technique — three-voice independence (bass/chord/melody), drop-3 vs drop-2 vs shell voicing choice, melody-on-top placement, bass-line movement, or practice methodology. Tests the recognition skill behind solo-guitar arranging for jazz, fingerstyle, folk, and classical chord-melody work. Five questions per round.
Slide Guitar Identification Quiz
Read a description of a slide technique or an intonation/muting scenario and identify which principle it is — slide placement (above the fret), behind-the-slide muting, slide vibrato, open-tuning barre shapes, or slide material choice. Tests the recognition skill behind bottleneck slide guitar for blues, country, Hawaiian, and roots-music playing. Five questions per round.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest guitar chords for beginners?+
How long does it take to learn guitar chords?+
What order should I learn chords in?+
What is the difference between open chords and barre chords?+
How do I practice chords effectively?+
More Resources
Explore these pages to deepen your understanding of chords and music theory.