Explore music theory
through color
No sheet music. Trust your ear. Learn through exploration.
Why Chord Colors?
Chord Colors skips notation because it can get in the way of exploration, creativity, and curiosity. Whether you're an advanced or beginner musician, there's so much packed in here you're guaranteed to learn something new and get inspired.
The colors aren't random
Similar colors sound good together
Colors are arranged according to the circle of fifths
Opposite colors sound bad together
Tritones are the most dissonant interval
Explore the app
Guitar and Piano
Same color system for both. 113 chords, 1,882 guitar voicings. See every note in context on both instruments.
Chord Progressions
470 progressions by genre and length. Tap to hear it, tap the arrow to see how to play it.
Scales
148 scales from around the world. Pin any scale by tapping and holding on it. Then go to the Chords page, via the sidebar menu, and you can see all matching chords instantly!
Saved Chords
Build your progression as you write. Transpose everything to a new key by tapping any of the note names in the header.
There's so much more
Explore matching chords, matching scales, and modal mixture easily!
The lessons page walks you through each of the advanced feature step by step.
Chord Colors is also great as a teaching aid, an ear trainer, and an inspiration tool for songwriters!
Or start right here, free
Two full explorers live on this site, no download needed. Play with them in your browser, then take the app with you.
Every scale, in color
Browse over 140 scales and modes, from major to the far exotic. See each one on a keyboard and a guitar neck, hear it played back, and read where it comes from and where to use it.
Open the Scale Explorer Chord Explorer · 700+ chordsEvery chord, taken apart
Explore over 700 chords across every root. Cycle their inversions, see them on piano and guitar, and follow the functional relationships to the chords around them.
Open the Chord ExplorerStart exploring music visually
Free download. No sheet music required.
