Music Theory Games: Chord Theory You Play

The best music theory games make you use theory, not just recite it. In ChordRunner the theory is chords: read a symbol like Cmaj7 or F#m7b5, work out its notes and play them on your piano, keyboard or guitar before it reaches you. Chord types, symbols, inversions and keys turn into reflexes.

Play the demo

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

The chord theory you train by playing

Theory	What the game asks	Example
Chord qualities	Hear and play major, minor, augmented, diminished	E vs Em
Chord symbols	Decode the symbol into notes	Bbmaj7 = Bb D F A
Seventh chords	Tell maj7, 7, m7 and m7b5 apart	G7 = G B D F
Extensions	Add 9ths, 11ths and 13ths	D9 = D F# A C E
Chords in a key	Play only the chords that belong to one key	C major: C Dm Em F G Am Bdim

Theory you can see: the four triads

Change one note and the whole character of the chord changes.

C C E G

Cm C Eb G

Caug C E G#

Cdim C Eb Gb

Music theory games for beginners

Start with one idea: a chord is a root plus a recipe. Major is root, 4 keys up, 3 keys up; minor is root, 3 up, 4 up. The game's first level uses only these and the augmented and diminished triads, so you learn the recipe by playing it in every key. Later levels add the 7th, then 9th, 11th and 13th: each step is one more note on top of what you already know.

More theory games

Chord quiz: answer theory questions by playing the chord.
Ear training: name a chord by its sound.
Reading chord symbols: every abbreviation explained.

ChordRunner on a tablet with hands playing a chord on a piano

Theory at the speed of music

Knowing that G7 is G B D F is theory; playing it in half a second is musicianship. A MIDI keyboard is detected automatically, a piano or guitar works through the microphone.

Play the demo

Common questions

What are good music theory games?

Games where you apply theory instead of reciting it. In ChordRunner you decode a chord symbol and play it on your instrument before it reaches you, from triads to 13ths.

Are there music theory games for beginners?

Yes. Start with the four triads, major, minor, augmented and diminished, in every key. Each later level adds one more note: 7ths, then 9ths, 11ths and 13ths.

Can I learn chord symbols with a game?

Yes: every chord in ChordRunner appears as a symbol like Cmaj7 or F#m7b5, so reading symbols becomes automatic.

Do I need a piano for music theory games?

A MIDI keyboard, a piano or a guitar. The game reads MIDI keyboards automatically and hears acoustic instruments through the microphone.

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

Music Theory Games: Chord Theory You Play

The chord theory you train by playing

Theory you can see: the four triads

Music theory games for beginners

More theory games

Theory at the speed of music

Common questions

What are good music theory games?

Are there music theory games for beginners?

Can I learn chord symbols with a game?

Do I need a piano for music theory games?

Your instrument is the controller.

Keep learning

Chord Quiz: Answer by Playing

How to Read Any Chord Symbol

Ear Training with Your Hands on the Keys

Piano Chords: Every Chord, Beginner to Pro

The Circle of Fifths, Explained by Playing

Diatonic Chords Explained