Chord recognizer: play a chord, see its name
Found a shape you like but don’t know what it’s called? Hear a chord in a song and want to check it? Strum it near your iPhone and FRET names the chord in real time, with the notes it hears — all analysed on the phone, nothing uploaded.
How it works
- Allow the microphoneFRET listens only while the recognizer is on screen.
- Strum a chordLet it ring. FRET analyses the notes and names the chord — A minor, D major, F♯ minor…
- See the notesThe notes it heard are shown beside the name, so you understand why.
What it recognises
FRET’s recognizer listens for the notes in what you play and matches them against the major and minor triads in all 12 keys — the 24 chords that most songs are built on. Because it works from notes rather than from a library of shapes, it recognises a chord whatever voicing you use — an open C, a barre C at the 8th fret or a three-note triad on the top strings. Richer chords (sevenths, suspended chords) are reported as the closest major or minor chord, which is usually their root and quality.
It shows the result as a big chord symbol (“Am”), the full name (“A minor”) and the notes it detected (A C E). If you play an unusual shape, seeing the notes helps you work out why it sounds the way it does.
Ways to use it
- Name your own shapes. Wrote a riff with a chord you invented? Find out what it is, so you can write it down or find it elsewhere on the neck in the chord library.
- Check your fingering. If the recognizer says “C minor” when you meant C major, a finger is in the wrong place on the 3rd — exactly the kind of mistake that’s hard to hear when you’re learning beginner chords.
- Train your ear. Guess the chord quality before you look. It’s a natural companion to ear training — see the ear training guide for the exercises.
- Work out songs. Play along with a recording, find a chord that sounds right and confirm its name.
For best results: strum all the strings of the chord evenly and let it ring for a second. Hold the phone 30–60 cm from the guitar, or close to the amp. Very distorted sounds and loud rooms make recognition harder.
Private by design
The microphone audio is analysed on your iPhone in real time and never stored or uploaded. The recognizer stops listening as soon as you leave the screen. The same applies to FRET’s tuners and recorder.
Free, with no account
The chord recognizer is one of FRET’s free tools, alongside the tuners, metronome, tap tempo, chord charts, scales and recorder. When you’re ready for more, FRET Pro adds guided practice sessions, jam tracks, the strobe tuner and training games.
Questions
Can an app tell what chord I’m playing?
Yes. FRET’s chord recognizer listens to the notes you play and names the chord in real time.
Which chords does it recognise?
Every major and minor chord in all 12 keys, in any voicing. Seventh and suspended chords are shown as the nearest major or minor chord.
Is my audio uploaded?
No. Sound is analysed on the iPhone and never stored or sent anywhere.
Is the chord recognizer free?
Yes, it’s part of FRET’s free tools.