Workshop tool · Free
Guitar chord identifier: find the name of any shape
You found a shape you like, but what is it called? Click the notes on a virtual guitar neck in standard tuning, one per string, and the chord identifier names the chord, tells you which note is in the bass and lists every other way to read the same notes. It is for guitarists who write their own voicings, transcribe songs or simply want to know what their fingers are doing.
Included in the free account.
What the chord identifier does
The neck shows six strings in standard tuning (E A D G B E) from the open strings to the 15th fret. You click one fret per string, mark the strings you do not play, and the tool reads the result in real time.
For every shape you get:
- the best name in large type, with the notes you are playing from low to high;
- up to eight possible interpretations, each with a confidence score and its notes and intervals, so you can compare readings;
- a reading of the selected chord: root, bass note, quality, missing notes and extra notes;
- a button to hear the chord as you placed it.
When the lowest note is not the root, the tool flags an inversion and writes the chord as a slash chord, for example C/E. Five examples (open C, open Am, open G, Dm7 and an F barre chord) load with one click so you can see how it works straight away.
How a chord gets its name
A chord name describes intervals above a root, not finger positions. The tool takes every note you play, tries each one as the root and compares the result with known formulas: major 1 3 5, minor 1 ♭3 5, dominant seventh 1 3 5 ♭7, minor seventh 1 ♭3 5 ♭7, sus, diminished, extended and altered chords.
That is why the same notes can have several names. Play the open Dm7 shape x x 0 2 1 1 (D string open, G string 2nd fret, B and high E strings 1st fret). The notes are D A C F: read from D, that is a Dm7 (1 ♭3 5 ♭7); read from F, the same four notes form an F6 (1 3 5 6). With D in the bass, Dm7 is the natural reading, and the tool lists the other one as an alternative.
The bass changes the name too. Take an open C chord x 3 2 0 1 0 and add the open low E string: 0 3 2 0 1 0. The notes are the same, but E is now the lowest note, so the chord becomes C/E, the first inversion of C major.
Guitar voicings often leave a note out. A G7 played 3 x 3 4 x x gives G, F and B: no fifth at all. The tool still recognises it as G7 and lists the missing 5 in the reading card, noting that the chord stays recognisable without it.
What is free and what needs Premium
The chord identifier is entirely free. There is no Premium version and no limit on the number of chords you identify. You only need a free GuitarHarmony account to open the workshop, and the tool runs in your browser on computer, tablet or phone without installing anything.
Premium (4.90 € a month or 39 € a year) unlocks other parts of the workshop, such as the Pro library of exotic scales, the solo builder and the chord substitutions. You do not need it to name chords.
Tips for reliable results
- Mute what you do not play. Use the Muted strings buttons above the neck. A string you leave untouched is ignored, but marking it as muted keeps your shape clear.
- Watch the bass. The lowest string you play decides between C and C/E. If the tool names an inversion you did not expect, check your lowest note first.
- Three notes minimum. Two notes are an interval, not a chord; the tool asks for at least three consistent notes.
- Compare the cards. A 100% match with every note present is not always the most musical reading. In a song in F, the D A C F shape may well work as F6.
- Then learn the shape in context. Once you know the triad inside your chord, practise it on three strings with the guitar triads tool.
How to use it
- Place your notes. Click a fret on each string you play. One note per string: clicking another fret on the same string replaces it, clicking the same fret again removes it.
- Mark the muted strings. In the Muted strings row above the neck, click each string you do not play. It turns red with a cross.
- Read the chord name. The best name appears at the top with your notes from low to high. Press the play button to hear the chord.
- Compare interpretations. Under Possible interpretations, click another card to see its root, bass, quality and missing or extra notes. Use Clear to start a new shape, or load an example.
What you can do with it
Naming a chord from a tab
A tab shows x02010 and you want the chord symbol for your chord sheet. Enter it: the notes are A E G C E, which the tool reads as Am7, with C6/A as an alternative.
Checking your own voicing
You moved a finger in a barre chord and the sound changed. Enter the new shape to see which interval you added or removed, and whether it is still the same chord.
Understanding inversions
Play C, then C with E in the bass, then with G in the bass. The tool shows C, C/E and C/G and tells you each time which note is in the bass.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out the name of a guitar chord?
Click the frets you play on the virtual neck, one per string, and mark the muted strings. The tool compares your notes with known chord formulas, trying each note as the root, and shows the most likely name first.
Does it recognise inversions and slash chords?
Yes. When the lowest note is not the root, the chord is written as a slash chord such as C/E or C/G, and the reading card shows the root and bass separately.
Why does it show several names for the same chord?
Because the same notes can be read from different roots. D A C F is Dm7 with D as the root and F6 with F as the root. The best reading depends on the bass note and on the key of the song.
Does it work with alternate tunings?
No, the chord identifier uses standard tuning (E A D G B E). For chord shapes in Drop D, DADGAD or open tunings, use the alternate tunings tool of the workshop.
Is the chord identifier free?
Yes, completely and without limits. You just need a free account to open the workshop in your browser.