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Chord Identification

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Difficulty

7 natural roots (C–B) × maj/min — 14 possible chords.

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Ready when you are

Pick a difficulty, then start the session. You'll name both the root and the quality — e.g. Dm, F#°, G7.

Train your ear to name the full chord — root and quality — from a single playback. "Dm", "F#°", "G7" — the level real musicians read off a lead sheet.

The mechanic

You hear a chord in root position, closed voicing. Two picker rows appear: Root (C, C#, D, …) and Quality (maj, m, °, +, 7, m7, Δ7, ø7, °7, sus4, sus2). Pick one of each, then hit Submit.

Tap Audition before submitting to hear what your current pick would sound like — compared side-by-side with the prompt.

If you get it wrong, you can keep editing your picks and Check again without re-submitting to the server (streak stays broken from the first miss). A small "I give up" link reveals the answer if you're stuck.

Why this is a separate trainer

The Chord Quality trainer asks only "what kind of chord is this?" — major, minor, dim, dom7, etc. — with the root note hidden behind random transposition. Useful for learning the flavour of each quality, but it skips the other half of chord literacy: identifying the root pitch.

This trainer asks for both. You name the root (C, F#, Bb, etc.) AND the quality. Get either one wrong → it counts as wrong.

The two skills overlap but they're distinct:

Trainer What it tests When to use
Chord Quality Quality recognition (the shape) First — learn major vs minor vs dim vs aug cold
Chord Identification Root + quality together After Quality is reliable — now add the harder pitch-anchor skill

If you're new to ear training, drill Chord Quality for a week or two before coming here. Once "major vs minor" is automatic, root recognition is the next unlock.

Difficulty pools

Difficulty Roots Qualities
Beginner 7 naturals (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) maj, min
Intermediate 12 chromatic + dim, aug, dom7, m7
Advanced 12 chromatic + maj7, m7♭5, dim7, sus4, sus2

Beginner is 14 possible chords (7 roots × 2 qualities). Intermediate is 72 (12 × 6). Advanced is 132 (12 × 11). Don't be intimidated by the Advanced number — most learners settle at Intermediate for months.

How to practise

  1. Earn the right to be here. Don't skip past Chord Quality. If you can't reliably name a quality, you definitely can't name a chord.
  2. Start at Beginner with naturals only. Drilling 14 chord names cold (Cmaj, Cmin, Dmaj, Dmin, …) is a manageable foundation.
  3. Audition aggressively. This is the trainer where the Audition button earns its keep — A/B'ing your current pick against the prompt is the fastest way to home in on the right answer.
  4. Daily reps beat marathons. 10 minutes a day for a month will outperform one 5-hour session.
  5. Cross-train with transcription. When you can name 80% of Beginner-level chords cold, try transcribing the chord changes of a real (slow) song. Real-world reps cement the skill.

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