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New Released in April 2026
Open G Tuning Chords and the Shapes Around Them
Open G tuning (D G D G B D) turns the open strings into a G major chord. Lower three strings from standard, the 6th, 5th and 1st, by a whole step each, and open G tuning chords become one finger across the neck: a classic for slide and open rhythm playing.
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
Five strings are often enough
Many rhythm players in open G ignore the 6th string and let the 5th string, G, be the lowest note. The chord sounds tighter and the root is always on the bottom. With a slide, play directly above the fret wire, not between frets.
One finger, one major chord
- Fret 0: G
- Fret 2: A
- Fret 3: Bb
- Fret 5: C
- Fret 7: D
- Fret 8: Eb
- Fret 10: F
- Fret 12: G
Open G Tuning Chords and the Shapes Around Them
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 demoColours from the open G chord
- Gsus4: open strings with the 2nd string at fret 1 (C).
- G6: open strings with the 1st string at fret 2 (E).
- G7: open strings with the 1st string at fret 3 (F).
- Minor: barre a fret and play the 2nd string one fret lower. Am = barre at 2, 2nd string at 1.
Hear the I, IV and V
Open, 5th fret and 7th fret give G, C and D. ChordRunner listens through the microphone and hears the real chord, so you can practise jumping between those three barres in time and check that every string rings.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
How do I tune to open G?
From standard, lower the 6th string from E to D, the 5th from A to G and the 1st from E to D. The other three stay.
What are the main chords in open G tuning?
G open, C at the 5th fret and D at the 7th fret, each with one finger across the strings.
How do you play minor chords in open G?
Barre the fret and lower the 2nd string by one fret: Am is the barre at fret 2 with the 2nd string at fret 1.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
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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