Guitar
223 chords, open shapes and barre positions, with classical and acoustic guitar audio.
Open guitar chordsChords and ensemble
Chords by instrument: guitar, piano and mixer
Combine guitar, piano, ukulele, bass and violin in a single musical pulse. Choose practice songs or practice chords, hear how instruments sound together in each bar, and learn to combine guitar and piano.
SONGS AND REPERTOIRE
Harmony studio and instrument mixer
Choose a chord progression or switch to practice songs with all instruments.
STEP 1
Choose how you want to sound
Select a progression with its written melodic line and transpose the key.
Key
Emotions
Joy and optimism·C major·4 bars·100 BPM
STEP 2
Build your mix
Turn on each instrument, assign its role and tune its volume balance.
GuitarIn the mix
Level70%
PianoIn the mix
Level50%
BassIn the mix
Level60%
ViolinIn the mix
Level65%
UkuleleIn the mix
Level45%
Active: Guitar, Piano, Bass, Violin, Ukulele.
Choose your instrument
Chord types and how to play them on each instrument
A chord formula keeps the same notes across instruments. Fingering, register and accompaniment change. Choose where to study, then compare how the sounds work together.
Piano and keyboard
Keyboard notes, formulas, inversions and fingering, with piano audio and accompaniment patterns.
Open piano chordsUkulele
60 chords in high-G G-C-E-A tuning, with recorded strum and arpeggio.
Open ukulele chordsBass
60 chords as arpeggios in the low register, to hear the root, third and fifth.
Open bass chordsViolin
All 12 notes in first position and double stops, with violin sound.
Open violin notesChord types and how they are built
A chord starts with a root and is built from intervals. The formula identifies scale degrees: 1–3–5 forms a major triad. Lowering the third by a semitone gives a minor triad, and adding a minor seventh gives a dominant seventh chord. This table uses C as its example. The same formulas apply to other roots.
| Type | Example | Formula | Notes | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major Triad21 in the guitar dictionary | C | 1 - 3 - 5 | C · E · G | Stable and bright. A starting point for many songs. |
| Minor Triad21 in the guitar dictionary | Cm | 1 - ♭3 - 5 | C · Eb · G | The third is a semitone lower than in a major chord. |
| Dominant Seventh16 in the guitar dictionary | C7 | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 | C · E · G · Bb | Dominant tension, often resolving to the tonic, as G7 to C. |
| Major Seventh12 in the guitar dictionary | Cmaj7 | 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 | C · E · G · B | A major chord with a major seventh, common in jazz, bossa nova and ballads. |
| Minor Seventh15 in the guitar dictionary | Cm7 | 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 | C · Eb · G · Bb | A minor chord with a minor seventh, often the ii chord in a ii–V–I. |
| Suspended Second7 in the guitar dictionary | Csus2 | 1 - 2 - 5 | C · D · G | A second replaces the third, leaving major or minor quality open. |
| Suspended Fourth10 in the guitar dictionary | Csus4 | 1 - 4 - 5 | C · F · G | A fourth replaces the third and often resolves to a major chord. |
| Major Added Ninth11 in the guitar dictionary | Cadd9 | 1 - 3 - 5 - 9 | C · E · G · D | A major triad with an added ninth. |
| Major Sixth8 in the guitar dictionary | C6 | 1 - 3 - 5 - 6 | C · E · G · A | A major triad with an added sixth. |
| Dominant Ninth12 in the guitar dictionary | C9 | 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 | C · E · G · Bb · D | A dominant seventh chord with an added ninth. |
| Diminished Triad7 in the guitar dictionary | Cdim | 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 | C · Eb · Gb | A diminished triad, often used for a passing connection. |
| Diminished Seventh12 in the guitar dictionary | Cdim7 | 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - 𝄫7 | C · Eb · Gb · Bbb | A symmetric chord built from stacked minor thirds. |
| Half-Diminished12 in the guitar dictionary | Cm7b5 | 1 - ♭3 - ♭5 - ♭7 | C · Eb · Gb · Bb | A half-diminished chord, often ii in a minor ii–V–i. |
| Augmented Triad12 in the guitar dictionary | Caug | 1 - 3 - ♯5 | C · E · G# | A triad with an augmented fifth, symmetric in major thirds. |
Chord symbols: how to read C, Am and G7
The letter names the root. What follows describes the chord: m means minor, as in Am. A number adds or identifies chord tones, as in G7. # raises a note by a semitone and b lowers it. A slash identifies the bass note: C/G is a C major chord with G in the bass.
Twenty frequently consulted guitar chords
These twenty chords are useful for practicing many popular progressions. Explore open shapes, barre chords and seventh chords. Each entry explains fingering and sounding strings and offers real guitar audio. Shapes such as F, Bm, Fm, Cm, Gm and Bb need careful barre practice.
PEDAGOGY GUIDE
How to combine guitar, piano and other instruments
Sharing a chord progression does not mean every musician plays the exact same notes. Each instrument brings its own register, attack and harmonic role. In our lesson you will learn how to balance harmonic backing, bass pulse and melodic phrasing so your ensemble breathes clearly.
Read the complete ensemble guideHow to use it
Guitar or piano, the same chord in two ways of playing it
A chord sounds the same on any instrument because C major always brings together the notes C, E, and G. What changes is the distribution on each instrument.
On the guitar, the six strings force you to double notes and fix positions. On the piano, each hand distributes the notes with complete freedom.
What you'll find in each dictionary
- Guitar with clear fingering diagrams, variations with barre on the neck, and real nylon or steel sound.
- Piano with marked keys and notes, distribution between the left hand for the bass and the right hand for the triad with fingers 1 to 5.
If you play both instruments, it's helpful to compare the same chord on both. Seeing the notes on the keys helps you understand why a guitar position sounds with such acoustic richness.