Guitar Chord Trainer
Stop memorising shapes. Start understanding chords.
Start LearningHow This Chord Trainer Works
This trainer takes you from "I memorise shapes from the outside" to "I understand shapes from the inside." Starting with open chords you already know, it uncovers the recipe behind every chord, so you can recognise, build, and modify any shape on the fretboard.
There are five exercise types inside this trainer:
- Chord ID: you're shown a chord shape on the fretboard and you name it: works for both open shapes and moveable barre chord shapes.
- Chord Builder: you're given a chord name and you tap the notes to build the shape. Sometimes you fill in a few missing notes, sometimes you build the whole thing from scratch.
- Chord Modifier: you're shown a shape and asked to change it into something else: turn C major into C minor, or A major into A7, by moving or adding notes.
- Chord Tone Quiz: identify the root, third, fifth or seventh inside a shape, or tap the note that plays a specific role. This is how you learn to see chords in terms of their ingredients.
- Chord Ingredient: the most analytical exercise: break down a full chord shape into its intervals and chord tones. Builds deep understanding of why a shape looks the way it does.
The learning path combines all five as you progress through open triads, seventh chords, and moveable shapes up the neck. You can complete every level by tapping on screen: no guitar required, though you can plug in your guitar on levels that support it.
Why This Chord Trainer Is Different
Most chord tools are reference tools. They show you a shape, maybe play it back, and leave the learning to you. This one is built for training. A guided learning path takes you chord by chord, shape by shape, gradually connecting the shapes you already know to the theory that makes them work.
It also teaches chords from the inside out. Instead of memorising another pile of shapes, you learn the recipe: root, third, fifth, and the intervals between them. Once you see that recipe, every chord on the guitar starts to make sense. You stop memorising shapes and start understanding them.
Why I built this trainer
Most guitarists learn chord shapes the way you'd learn phone numbers: by rote. It works, but it doesn't scale. The moment you want to play a chord you don't know, or understand why one sounds different from another, you're stuck. I built this trainer because chord theory is actually simple once you see it on the fretboard — and once you do, the whole instrument opens up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this free?
You can start playing right away for free, no account needed. The first levels of the learning path are completely free. A Game Pass unlocks all levels and features.
Do I need my guitar?
No. The entire trainer is tap-based, so you can complete every level on a phone, tablet, or computer without ever picking up a guitar. On levels where it makes sense, you can also play the notes on your guitar and the app will listen through the microphone.
Do I need to know music theory already?
Not at all. The learning path starts with open chords you probably already know and introduces concepts like roots, thirds, fifths, and intervals as you go. If you've never thought about chords in theory terms before, this is a good place to start.
Is this the same as learning to play chords on guitar?
No, this trainer focuses on understanding chords: what's in them, how they're built, and how to modify or move them. If you want to practice playing chords cleanly and switching between them, that's a different skill (one we're working on).
What chords does it cover?
The learning path covers open major and minor chords, then moves into seventh chords (dominant, minor, and major 7th), then half-diminished and diminished. It also covers moving these shapes up the neck as barre chords, so by the end you can find almost any chord anywhere on the fretboard.
Does this work on my phone?
Yes. The trainer is designed to work on phones, tablets, and computers. The fretboard fits on a phone in landscape mode.