Recognizing chord qualities by ear is the bridge between hearing music and being able to write or transcribe it. A trained ear lets you play what you hum, pull out chords from a song, and sketch ideas straight to an instrument without second-guessing.
This mode breaks up the reading drills. Your brain gets a change of pattern, and the pitch-to-quality mapping becomes automatic over time.
Every chord below can be enabled in the setup panel. Start with a handful (major, minor, sus4, dominant 7) and add more as each becomes second nature.
Root + Perfect fifth (no third)
Neutral, neither major nor minor. Ubiquitous in rock/metal
Root + Major third + Perfect fifth + Minor seventh
Bluesy tension, calls for resolution
Root + Major third + Perfect fifth
Joyful, stable
Root + Minor third + Perfect fifth
Sad, stable
Root + Minor third + Diminished fifth
Dark, dissonant, unstable
Root + Major third + Augmented fifth
Tense, mysterious
Root + Perfect fifth + Ninth
Open, airy
Root + Perfect fifth + Octave
Replaces a major chord, less cheerful
Root + Major third + Perfect fifth + Major seventh
Reassuring, dreamy, jazz/bossa
Root + Minor third + Perfect fifth + Minor seventh
Cloudy, reassuring, soul/jazz
Root + Major second + Perfect fifth (no third)
Sad but not dissonant, airy
Root + Perfect fourth + Perfect fifth (no third)
Sad but not dissonant, suspended
Root + Perfect fourth + Augmented fifth
Sad, mildly dissonant, unique color
Root + Minor third + Perfect fifth + Major sixth
Sad, slightly dissonant
Root + Minor third + Perfect fifth + Sixth + Ninth
Sad and complex, very jazzy
Root + Minor third + Perfect fifth + Ninth
Minor with height, cinematic
Root + Minor third + Diminished fifth
Dissonant (identical to dim without seventh)
Root + Minor third + Perfect fifth + Major seventh
Dissonant, mysterious, dark and romantic
The theory page breaks down how chords are constructed from intervals, how to move between major and minor, and what each extension (7th, 9th, suspension) changes about the sound.
Read the theory section →