Ear Training

Chord Identification Trainer

Train your ear to recognize chord qualities. Listen to a chord and identify its type — from simple triads to seventh chords.

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Hear the Difference Between Chord Qualities

Every chord quality has a distinct emotional character. Major chords sound bright and happy, minor chords sound sad and introspective, diminished chords create tension, augmented chords feel unsettled and mysterious, and seventh chords add richness and complexity. Training your ear to distinguish these qualities is a gateway to deeper musical understanding.

Tip: Listen to the third of the chord — it's the most distinctive interval. Major thirds sound bright and wide; minor thirds sound dark and narrow. For seventh chords, listen for the extra note on top: a minor seventh adds bluesy tension, while a major seventh feels dreamy and lush.

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Chord Identification Trainer — Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about our virtual instruments, practice tools, and music theory workspace.

What is chord identification ear training?

Chord identification ear training teaches you to recognize chord qualities by sound.

You'll learn to distinguish major, minor, diminished, augmented, and various seventh chords by hearing their unique tonal character.

Why should I practice chord identification?

Recognizing chord qualities by ear is essential for jazz, pop, and session musicians.

It lets you hear a song and know which chords are being played, transcribe progressions, and comp more effectively.

How does chord playback work?

Each note of the chord is played sequentially with a 40ms delay between notes (a gentle strum).

This makes the individual voices clearer than playing all notes at once, helping you hear the chord's internal structure.

What chord types are included?

Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented, Dominant 7th, Major 7th, and Minor 7th — the seven most common chord qualities in Western music.

How is the root note chosen?

The root note is randomly selected from all 12 chromatic pitches.

The chord quality is also randomized, and the trainer avoids repeating the same chord quality twice in a row.

What if I don't know all chord types yet?

The trainer shows the correct answer after each attempt, so you learn by doing.

Start by focusing on the difference between major and minor, then add diminished and augmented, and finally the seventh chords.

How is the score calculated?

Your score shows correct guesses out of total attempts (e.

g., '15 / 20 correct'). After each answer, green highlights your correct choice and red shows mistakes, with the correct answer revealed.

Can I replay the chord?

Yes.

Click 'Play Again' to hear the chord as many times as you need before making your guess.