Guitar Chord Lookup
Find any guitar chord from the fretboard — or go the other way: click the frets you’re playing and we name the chord.
About the guitar chord lookup
A visual dictionary of guitar chords in standard EADGBE tuning. Search a chord by name, or pick any of the 12 root notes and 30 chord types — from an open C major to a Cmaj13 — and see the chord on a fretboard diagram: numbered dots for each finger, barres drawn as pills, × for muted strings and ○ for open ones, plus the note each string sounds.
Most chords include several voicings: the common open or low shape first, then alternatives higher up the neck. Press Play to hear the chord string by string and then strummed together. A left-handed mode mirrors every diagram, and a capo setting recalculates everything: the shape you actually play, the fret numbers counted from the capo, and the pitches you hear.
It also works in reverse. Switch to Notes → name and click the fret you’re holding on each string of a full 15-fret fretboard; the circle by the nut plays a string open and the × clears it. On a phone the neck is shown a few frets at a time, with arrows to move up and down it — and it follows the frets you press on its own. With three or more notes we name the chord and tell you if it matches a standard shape — order and octave are irrelevant, so any voicing of Do, Mi and Sol is simply C major. Lower and Higher slide the whole thing, capo included, up or down the neck.
Guitar chord FAQs
How do I find out what chord I’m playing on the guitar?
Switch to “Notes → name” and click the fret you’re holding on each string of the fretboard; the circle by the nut plays that string open and the × clears it. With three or more notes we name the chord, and tell you whether it matches a standard shape.
Can I just type the chord name?
Yes. The search box takes almost any spelling — Cmaj7, CM7, C-7, F#m7b5, Bb sus4, even solfège like sol7 or do menor. Press / to jump straight to it, use ↑↓ to pick a suggestion and ↵ to load it.
What do the numbers on the dots mean?
They tell you which finger of your fretting hand to use: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky. A long pill across several strings is a barre — one finger pressing them all at once.
What do the × and ○ symbols above the strings mean?
A cross (×) means that string should not be played. A circle (○) means the string is played open, without pressing any fret.
How does the capo work?
Pick a capo position and everything is recalculated: the chord you asked for is shown as the shape you actually play (capo 2 + a G shape sounds as A), and the fret numbers are counted from the capo, the way tab with a capo is written. Lower and Higher slide capo and shape together, so the shape stays the same while the chord transposes.
Why are there fewer positions when I add a capo?
Because with a capo you are playing a different shape. With a capo on the 1st fret a C is played with B shapes, and there are fewer stored B shapes than C shapes — the “Positions” heading tells you which shapes you are looking at.
What does a label like “3fr” next to the diagram mean?
By default the second horizontal line from the top is the first fret. When you see “3fr”, the diagram starts at the third fret instead — the chord is played higher up the neck. With a capo on, that count starts at the capo.
Why are there several positions for the same chord?
Most chords can be played in different places on the neck. The most common shape is shown first; click any thumbnail under “Positions” to see an alternative voicing with its own fingering.
Can I use it if I’m left-handed?
Yes — click the “Left-handed” button and every diagram and the fretboard are mirrored. Your choice is remembered when you move between instruments.
Can I hear the chord?
Press “Play chord” or hit the spacebar: each note sounds string by string, lighting up as it plays, then the whole chord together. With a capo on, you hear the real pitches, not the shape.