Why this is easier than it sounds
Songs don't pick chords at random. Each one is written in a key, and every key has its own small family of chords. In G major, for example, you'll mostly hear G, C, D and Em. Once you know the key, you're no longer hunting through dozens of chords, just six or seven candidates. The job turns into a process of elimination.
Step 1: find the home note
Listen to the end of the chorus, or to the very last note of the song. One note sounds like "home": the melody settles there and you can feel it's over. That's the tonic.
Hum it, then find it on the guitar by walking up one string, fret by fret, until the note you play blends with the one you're singing. If you're torn between two neighboring frets, the lower one is often right: most of us sing a little sharp.
With Fredon, just sing that note: the app recognizes it live, shows it on screen and suggests chords that go with it, fingerings included. For more on this step, see the guide on how to find the key of a song.
Step 2: major or minor?
Say your tonic is A. Play an A major chord, then an A minor, while the song is playing. One of them fits, the other clashes. Minor songs usually sound darker or more melancholy, but trust the test more than the mood.
Step 3: list the likely chords
In a major key, four chords do most of the work: the chord on the tonic (the I), the ones built on the 4th and 5th notes of the scale (the IV and V), and the minor chord built on the 6th note (the vi). Here's what that looks like in the keys guitarists play most:
- C major: C, F, G, Am (and sometimes Dm, Em)
- G major: G, C, D, Em (and sometimes Am, Bm)
- D major: D, G, A, Bm (and sometimes Em, F♯m)
- A major: A, D, E, F♯m (and sometimes Bm, C♯m)
- E major: E, A, B, C♯m (and sometimes F♯m, G♯m)
In a minor key, start from the minor tonic and its neighbors. In A minor: Am, Dm, Em or E major (very common for leading back to Am), C, F and G. In E minor: Em, Am, Bm or B7, C, D and G.
Step 4: follow the bass
The lowest note you hear (bass guitar, the pianist's left hand, the low strings of a guitar) almost always gives you the name of the chord. Focus on it, hum it, and find it on the low strings. If the bass drops from G to E, there's a good chance the chord is moving from G to Em.
Watch for exceptions: sometimes the bass plays another note of the chord, or a passing note between two chords. If a bass note doesn't match any chord on your list, wait for the next one.
Step 5: spot where the chords change
Count the beats under your breath: 1, 2, 3, 4. In the vast majority of songs, chords change on the 1, often every one or two bars. Write the progression as a row of boxes, one per bar, and fill them in as you go.
Step 6: test and eliminate
Play each candidate over the bar in question. The right chord melts into the recording. A wrong one rubs, especially when the singer holds a long note. One simple rule helps a lot: on strong beats, the sung note is almost always part of the chord. If the voice holds a B, G (G B D) or Em (E G B) are good suspects, C much less so.
Progressions you'll hear everywhere
With practice, you'll start recognizing whole progressions. A few worth knowing, written in G major:
- I – V – vi – IV: G, D, Em, C. Hundreds of pop hits are built on it.
- I – IV – V: G, C, D. The backbone of rock, blues and folk.
- vi – IV – I – V: Em, C, G, D. The same color as the first one, starting from a different place.
- I – vi – IV – V: G, Em, C, D. The sound of '50s and '60s ballads.
If you've found two chords from one of these progressions, try the other two right away.
Time-saving tips
- Start with the chorus. It's often simpler and more repetitive than the verse.
- Slow the recording down. Most players let you drop to 0.75× without changing the pitch.
- Use a capo. If the song is in B♭ or E♭, put on a capo and play easy open shapes. The capo guide explains how to pick the fret.
- Write everything down. Even a half-finished chord chart saves you from starting over tomorrow.
If the tune is in your head but you don't have the recording handy, Fredon's Melody mode makes a good starting point: sing the tune (up to 60 seconds), and the app transcribes it, finds the key and suggests a chord progression, with alternatives and a recommended capo if needed. Then compare with the original and adjust by ear.
The most common mistakes
- An out-of-tune guitar. If your instrument is a quarter step flat, nothing will ever sound right. Start by learning how to tune a guitar.
- A recording that isn't at standard pitch. Some songs sit slightly sharp or flat of normal, or are played a half step down. If everything rubs a little, that might be why.
- Looking for chords that are too fancy. Start with the plainest version, major or minor. Sevenths and extensions can come later.
- Relying on the melody alone. The same sung note can work with several chords. The bass usually settles it.
FAQ
Do I need to read music?
No. Knowing where the notes are on the neck helps, and a dozen open chords cover most songs. If you're just starting out, begin with the 8 beginner guitar chords.
How long does it take to get good at this?
Your first song might take an hour. Your tenth, fifteen minutes. Your ear improves fast because the same progressions keep coming back from song to song.
What if the song changes key?
It happens, often in the last chorus, which goes up a whole step or a half step. Go back to step 1 for that section: find the new home note and shift the whole progression by the same amount. The guide on how to transpose chords shows you how.