Online Chord Builder
Choose a root, quality, extension and inversion, then hear the result.
Secure. Data stays in your browserSound starts only when you press Play. Use a comfortable device volume.
How chord tones and inversions work
A triad combines a root, third and fifth. Major and minor chords differ in their third; diminished and augmented chords also change the fifth. Extensions add tones above the triad. This builder uses dominant sevenths, major sevenths, ninths and added ninths as distinct choices. Inversions rotate the lowest note upward by an octave. The notes stay in the chord while its bass and spacing change. Playback uses a simple synthesized piano-like tone, so it demonstrates harmony rather than a sampled instrument.
Using the Chord Builder
Choose a chord's notes and compare the effect of extensions and inversions. You can use the result as a reference for writing or learning a voicing.
Instructions
- Select Root note, Chord quality and Extension.
- Choose Inversion and read Chord tones, Voicing and Bass. Compare the highlighted piano notes.
- Click Play chord, then Stop sound when finished. Change one setting at a time to hear its effect.
Reading the chord voicing
C major contains C, E and G. Its first inversion places E in the bass, with the displayed voicing E4, G4, C5. Extensions add notes to the triad; a minor seventh and a major seventh are different choices. The chord name describes its tones, while the voicing gives their register.
What to do if the chord is not what you intended
- Check Chord quality and Extension separately. Choosing a seventh does not turn a minor triad into a major triad.
- Read the bass after changing Inversion. The same chord tones can sound different in another order.
- If a diminished chord with a minor seventh appears as m7♭5, that is a half-diminished chord, not a fully diminished seventh.
The synthesized playback helps compare harmony. Try the voicing on your own instrument before treating it as a practical fingering.
