Learn › Chord Theory for Beginners in Three Simple Ideas
New Released in April 2026
Chord Theory for Beginners in Three Simple Ideas
Chord theory for beginners fits in three ideas. You can try each one on a keyboard in a minute, and together they explain most chords you will ever meet.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Idea 1: a chord skips every other note
Pick a note, skip one, take the next, skip one, take the next. From C you get C, E, G: the C chord. This "stack of thirds" is how almost every chord is built.
Idea 2: one key decides happy or sad
Move the middle note down by one key (the very next key, black or white) and the chord turns from major to minor. C, E, G is major; C, Eb, G is minor. That middle note is called the third.
Practise it in a game
ChordRunner shows a chord name, you play it on a MIDI keyboard, a piano or a guitar through the microphone, and the game checks every note. Levels start with the chords on this page.
Play the demoIdea 3: the name tells you the notes
- A letter alone is major: G = G, B, D.
- A small m means minor: Gm = G, Bb, D.
- A 7 adds one more stacked note: G7 = G, B, D, F.
- Everything else (sus, dim, maj7, 9) is a small change to these.
How to make it stick
Theory sticks when your hands use it. Build a chord on every white key, say if it sounds major or minor, then let a game throw chord names at you until you find them without thinking.
Common questions
What is the easiest way to learn chord theory?
On a keyboard: build chords by skipping every other note, change the middle note to hear major and minor, then practise reading chord names.
Do I need to read music to learn chords?
No. Chord names like C, Am or G7 are letters and numbers. You can play thousands of songs from chord names alone.
Can I check my chords with a MIDI keyboard or a microphone?
Yes. In ChordRunner a USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically, and a piano or guitar works through the microphone. The game shows a chord name and checks the notes you play.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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