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New Released in April 2026

Guitar Games for Kids That Listen to a Real Guitar

Guitar games for kids are most useful when the child holds a real guitar. In ChordRunner a chord name appears, your child strums it, and the microphone tells the game if the chord was right.

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
ChordRunner running on a phone next to an acoustic guitar, above a piano being played

Easy chords for small hands

The first chords most children manage are Em and Am (two or three fingers), then E, A and D. C and G need more stretch; F with a full barre can wait. The first game level uses major and minor chords, so a child can begin with the easy ones.

Before you start

  • Tune the guitar: a game cannot hear a chord right on an out-of-tune guitar.
  • Sit close to the microphone of the laptop, tablet or phone.
  • Keep the room quiet while playing.
  • Learn the shape from a picture first, then let the game test it.
  • Check the strings once a week: children often knock the tuning pegs.
Guitar Games for Kids That Listen to a Real Guitar – ChordRunner

Guitar Games for Kids That Listen to a Real Guitar

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.

Play the demo

What the game does and does not show

The game shows chord names, not finger diagrams. That is on purpose: the child learns the shape once, then the game makes them find it again and again until it is automatic.

A short routine

Five minutes on two chords, switching between them, then five minutes of a game level. Fingertips get sore at first; short sessions every day let them toughen up.

Common questions

Are there guitar games for kids with a real guitar?

Yes. ChordRunner listens through the microphone to an acoustic or electric guitar and checks each chord your child plays.

Which chords should a child learn first?

Em and Am, then E, A and D. C and G come next; barre chords like F can wait.

What does my child need to play ChordRunner?

A browser (Chrome or Edge) on a computer, tablet or phone, plus a USB MIDI keyboard, or a piano or guitar the microphone can hear. The on-screen keys let you try it first.

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.

Try the demo