Build any chord.
See what every note is doing.
Choose a chord to explore its notes, intervals and practical voicings, or click a shape onto the fretboard and let the tool answer: “What chord is this?”
C
Major chord
C
Hear what one altered note can do.
Build guitar chords from notes and interval formulas
This free guitar chord finder and builder reveals what is inside every chord. Choose a root and chord quality, or enter an unknown shape directly onto the fretboard to identify it. Then see the chord symbol, note names, interval formula and practical guitar voicings.
What you can learn
- Build major, minor, suspended, diminished, augmented and extended chords.
- See exactly which notes and intervals create each chord quality.
- Hear how changing one chord tone changes the musical colour.
- Compare useful guitar voicings instead of relying on a single chord diagram.
- Identify an unknown chord by clicking its notes onto a guitar fretboard.
How to use this tool
- Choose any of the twelve root notes.
- Select a chord family and chord quality.
- Compare the displayed note names with the transferable interval formula.
- Listen to the chord, then try its practical voicings on your guitar.
- Or choose What chord is this?, enter a shape and inspect the strongest match.
Frequently asked questions
How are guitar chords constructed?
Chords are built by combining intervals above a root note. A major chord uses 1, 3 and 5; a minor chord uses 1, flat 3 and 5. Seventh chords add another interval, while suspended, altered and extended chords change or add tones.
What is a chord formula?
A chord formula names each note by its interval from the root. This makes the chord structure transferable to every key instead of tying it to one memorised guitar shape.
Why can the same chord have different guitar shapes?
The same chord tones appear in many places on the fretboard. A voicing can reorder, repeat or sometimes omit notes while keeping the chord’s essential musical identity.
Why are some of the notes red?
Red notes are root notes: the note the chord is named after. A chord voicing may contain the root more than once in different octaves, so several notes can appear red at the same time.
Don’t just memorise shapes.
Understand what they contain.
Fretboard Freedom shows you how chord tones, triads and familiar CAGED shapes connect across the entire guitar.
Explore the Fretboard Freedom Course →