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New Released in April 2026
What to Learn After Open Chords, in the Right Order
Not sure what to learn after open chords? First make sure the ones you know are really done: you can change between G, C, D, Em and Am in time, without looking. Then add new shapes in this order, each one building on the last.
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
Check: are your open chords finished?
- Every string rings, no buzz or muted notes.
- You can switch G to C to D at 60 beats per minute, one chord per beat.
- You can play them from the chord name alone, without a picture.
The next five steps
- Open 7th chords: A7, D7, E7, G7, C7, B7. One finger off or one note added to shapes you know.
- Sus chords: Dsus2, Dsus4, Asus2, Asus4, Esus4. They make simple songs sound richer.
- Power chords: two or three notes, moveable along the neck. The bridge to barre chords.
- Barre chords: the E shape and the A shape, which give you every major and minor chord.
- Chords in a key: learn which chords belong together, so new songs stop surprising you.
What to Learn After Open Chords, in the Right Order
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 demoWhat not to rush
Big jazz chords and rare shapes can wait. Most songs use the same dozen chords, so speed and clean changes give you more music than a long list of shapes you play slowly.
Turn the list into practice
ChordRunner listens to your guitar through the microphone and sends chord symbols in random order, so you prove each step: first open majors and minors, then sus chords, 7ths and beyond. The game shows symbols, not diagrams, so learn a new shape from a chart, then let the game make it automatic.
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
What should I learn after open chords?
Open 7th chords and sus chords first, then power chords, then barre chords in the E and A shapes. After that, learn which chords belong to each key.
Should I learn barre chords or power chords first?
Power chords first. They train the same moving hand position with less pressure, which makes the first barre chords much easier.
How many open chords do I need before moving on?
G, C, D, A, E, Em, Am and Dm cover most beginner songs. Add the open 7ths and you have more than twenty shapes, enough to move on.
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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