How to find a chord from notes
- Press Clear notes to remove the C major example, then select each note in your chord. Select a note again to remove it. Octave doublings only need one selection.
- Set Bass note to the lowest note you play. Read the chord name and inversion; if several names match, choose one under Matching names.
- Choose an inversion and press Play chord to hear it. Stop ends the preview early. Root spelling switches between sharp and flat names without changing the pitches.
The finder checks the notes themselves, so it works for chords from a piano, guitar or synth. A guitar voicing with two E strings still needs only one E selected. Set the bass separately, because a list of note names does not say which one is lowest.
Reading chord inversions and slash names
The root names the chord; the bass is the lowest note you hear. In root position they are the same. Put the third in the bass for first inversion, or the fifth for second inversion. Seventh chords also have a third inversion, with the seventh in the bass.
C/E means C major with E in the bass. C/G keeps the same C, E and G notes but puts G at the bottom. The inversion controls change the bass and the listening voicing, then show the notes from low to high. The preview places the selected pitches close together; it does not reproduce a particular guitar fingering or the octave spacing of your original chord.
Common chord names from notes
These examples all start on C. The numbers describe intervals above the root: 3 is a major third, ♭3 a minor third, 5 a perfect fifth and ♭7 a minor seventh. Chord tones keep their theoretical spelling, so C7 uses B♭ and Cdim7 uses B♭♭, which sounds like A in equal temperament.
| Chord | Name | Notes | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | C major | C E G | 1 3 5 |
| Cm | C minor | C E♭ G | 1 ♭3 5 |
| C7 | C dominant seventh | C E G B♭ | 1 3 5 ♭7 |
| Cmaj7 | C major seventh | C E G B | 1 3 5 7 |
| Cm7 | C minor seventh | C E♭ G B♭ | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 |
| Csus4 | C suspended fourth | C F G | 1 4 5 |
| Cdim7 | C diminished seventh | C E♭ G♭ B♭♭ | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 |
No exact match means the selected notes are outside this tool's chord list. It does not drop an unexpected note or assume a missing root. Extended chords here include every tone in their full formula; players often leave some of those tones out. A no-match result does not mean the chord is wrong.
Finding the next chord
Once you have a name, the chord progressions guide shows how chords fit together in a key. Use the circle of fifths to explore nearby keys and their chords.
To turn the voicing into a part, enter the notes in your DAW and try them with Kiln Synthesizer. Compare inversions against the bass line and melody before choosing the sound.
Questions
How do I find a chord from its notes?
Select every different note in the chord, then set Bass note to the lowest note you play. The chord finder compares that set with common chord shapes and shows every exact match. C, E and G make C major; with E in the bass, the same notes make C/E, its first inversion.
What is a chord inversion?
An inversion puts a chord tone other than the root in the bass. A C major chord has C, E and G: C in the bass is root position, E is first inversion and G is second inversion. Moving the upper notes to other octaves does not change the inversion.
Why do the same notes have more than one chord name?
Some chords share every note. C, E, G and A can be C6 or Am7; the bass, melody and surrounding chords help decide which name makes sense. The finder lists both rather than assigning a confidence score to a musical choice.
Can this chord identifier listen to a song or microphone?
No. You enter notes by selecting them. It does not record or analyze audio. The Play chord button generates a short sound in your browser so you can hear the selected notes and bass.
Which chords does the finder recognize?
Major, minor, diminished, augmented, suspended and power chords, plus common sixths, sevenths, add-nine chords, ninths, elevenths and thirteenths. Matches must contain every selected note and every note in the listed chord shape. Rootless voicings, omitted notes and many altered chords are outside this list. It is free and needs no account.
Link to this chord finder
Use this plain link when sharing the chord finder in a lesson or article. It includes a credit line and needs no embed or script.
<a href="https://vitricaudio.com/tools/chord-finder">Free chord finder</a> by Vitric Audio