Chord finder and chord identifier
A free chord finder and chord identifier. Click the notes you are playing on the piano and it names the chord, inversions and slash chords included. Or go the other way: pick a chord and see and hear its notes.
How chords are named
A chord name is a root plus a recipe of intervals above it. The recipe is written as scale degrees: 1 3 5 is a major triad, 1 ♭3 5 is minor. Add a ♭7 and you get a dominant 7th; add a natural 7 instead and it is a major 7th. When the lowest note is not the root, the chord is an inversion and is written as a slash chord: C/E is a C major chord with E in the bass.
Chord formulas
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | Notes in C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | C | 1 3 5 | C E G |
| Minor | Cm | 1 ♭3 5 | C E♭ G |
| Diminished | Cdim | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | C E♭ G♭ |
| Augmented | Caug | 1 3 ♯5 | C E G♯ |
| Suspended 2nd | Csus2 | 1 2 5 | C D G |
| Suspended 4th | Csus4 | 1 4 5 | C F G |
| Power chord | C5 | 1 5 | C G |
| Major 6th | C6 | 1 3 5 6 | C E G A |
| Minor 6th | Cm6 | 1 ♭3 5 6 | C E♭ G A |
| Dominant 7th | C7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | C E G B♭ |
| Major 7th | Cmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | C E G B |
| Minor 7th | Cm7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | C E♭ G B♭ |
| Minor major 7th | Cm(maj7) | 1 ♭3 5 7 | C E♭ G B |
| Half-diminished | Cm7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | C E♭ G♭ B♭ |
| Diminished 7th | Cdim7 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 6 | C E♭ G♭ A |
| 7th suspended 4th | C7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | C F G B♭ |
| Added 9th | Cadd9 | 1 3 5 9 | C E G D |
| Minor added 9th | Cm(add9) | 1 ♭3 5 9 | C E♭ G D |
| Dominant 9th | C9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | C E G B♭ D |
| Major 9th | Cmaj9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | C E G B D |
| Minor 9th | Cm9 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 | C E♭ G B♭ D |
| 6/9 | C6/9 | 1 3 5 6 9 | C E G A D |
| Dominant 11th | C11 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 11 | C E G B♭ D F |
| Minor 11th | Cm11 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 11 | C E♭ G B♭ D F |
| Dominant 13th | C13 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 13 | C E G B♭ D A |
| Major 13th | Cmaj13 | 1 3 5 7 9 13 | C E G B D A |
| 7♭9 | C7♭9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 ♭9 | C E G B♭ D♭ |
| 7♯9 | C7♯9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 ♯9 | C E G B♭ D♯ |
Chords in a key
Each major key has seven chords built from its own notes, always in the same pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. That is why I–IV–V and I–V–vi–IV progressions work in any key.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
| G major | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F♯dim |
| D major | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | Bm | C♯dim |
| A major | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | F♯m | G♯dim |
| E major | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | C♯m | D♯dim |
| F major | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | Edim |
| B♭ major | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | Adim |
| E♭ major | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | Ddim |
The relative minor of each key starts on its sixth chord: A minor shares C major's chords, E minor shares G major's. For the bigger picture, the circle of fifths in Cafecito shows how all twelve keys connect.
Cafecito puts a circle of fifths in your DAW.
Tap a key and hear its chord, check your tuning, time your sessions and keep notes and to-dos with the track. Free, and it passes audio straight through.
Get Cafecito, free →Quick answers
How do I find out what chord I'm playing?
Click the notes of your chord on the piano above, in any octave. The chord finder names it, including inversions (written as slash chords like C/E) and common shortcuts such as a 7th chord with no 5th.
What notes are in a C major chord?
C, E and G: the root, major third and perfect fifth (1 3 5).
What is the difference between a major 7th and a dominant 7th?
Both start with a major triad. A major 7th (Cmaj7) adds the major seventh, B; a dominant 7th (C7) adds the flat seventh, B♭. Major 7ths sound dreamy and settled; dominant 7ths sound bluesy and want to resolve.
What is a slash chord?
A chord with a note other than the root in the bass, written chord/bass note. C/E is a C major chord with E as the lowest note, which is the first inversion of C.
What chords are in the key of C major?
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim. Every major key follows the same pattern of major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
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