C minor seventh
C–E♭–G–B♭ combines a minor triad with a minor seventh. Rotate the four tones to compare every bass position while keeping the pitch set visible.
Open C minor seventh →Interactive piano reference
Music theory,
made visible.
Explore piano chords, scales, intervals and keys on an interactive keyboard. ChordMetric keeps the written notes, sounding pitches and theoretical relationships connected, so you can see what changed instead of memorising an isolated shape.
Try it nowWorking demo
C major
C = C · E · G
CEG
C – E – G1–3–5
Four primary tools
Start with the question you have
Each tool exposes a complete text answer alongside the visual control. Change one musical decision at a time, then follow the selected result into its root, key, interval or print reference.
01
Chord Explorer
Build, hear and compare piano chords.
Open tool →02Reverse Chord Finder
Select notes and identify exact or partial structures.
Open tool →03Scale Explorer
See scale notes, degrees, direction and keyboard positions.
Open tool →04Circle of Fifths
Connect keys, signatures and diatonic chords.
Open tool →One connected product
Follow a chord into its scale, key and circle position
Suppose you choose D major. The chord explorer gives D–F♯–A, the scale explorer expands that tonic to D–E–F♯–G–A–B–C♯, the harmony tool shows its seven diatonic triads, and the circle explains why D major carries two sharps. Each view keeps the same musical choice in focus, so you can move between them without starting again.
- 01D major chord
D · F♯ · A
Open selected chord - 02D major scale
D · E · F♯ · G · A · B · C♯
Open selected scale - 03D major harmony
I D · ii E · iii F♯ · IV G · V A · vi B · vii° C♯
Open selected harmony - 04Circle position
Two sharps: F♯ and C♯ · relative B minor
Open the circle
Browse chords by root
Twelve pitch centres in one working explorer
Choose the note you can see or the spelling you already know. Each link opens the chord explorer with that root selected, ready for you to compare qualities, inversions and note spellings.
Understand the keyboard
The pattern repeats; the note function changes.
A piano octave contains seven white-key letter names and five black-key positions. C is immediately to the left of every group of two black keys; F is immediately to the left of every group of three. That repeating landmark lets you orient yourself anywhere on an 88-key keyboard.
A black key can usually take a sharp or flat name, but the surrounding chord or scale decides which is meaningful. F♯ and G♭ sound alike in equal temperament, yet C–F♯ is an augmented fourth while C–G♭ is a diminished fifth. ChordMetric keeps that written distinction visible beside the keyboard.
Read the keyboard guideCC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B
Popular reference examples
Four answers you can open, change and print
Each example links to the exact interactive state or authoritative hub that supplies its answer.
A harmonic minor
A–B–C–D–E–F–G♯ raises the seventh of A natural minor. F to G♯ is an augmented second: adjacent letters spanning three semitones.
Open A harmonic minor →C to F sharp
C to F♯ spans six semitones and is written as an augmented fourth. The written letter span distinguishes it from the enharmonic C to G♭ diminished fifth.
Compare intervals →E♭ major
E♭–F–G–A♭–B♭–C–D uses three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭. Its relative minor is C minor; its primary triads are E♭, A♭ and B♭.
Open E♭ harmony →Browse by task
Move from a musical question to a checkable answer
Beginners can start with keyboard orientation and plain-language answers. Teachers can open a labelled diagram with a complete text equivalent. Composers can transpose relationships by Roman numeral without tying them to named songs. Practice references stay bounded and avoid medical or guaranteed-learning claims.
Core piano references
Charts and guides for the questions behind the tools
Use these substantial reference pages to compare note notation, chord construction, inversions, keys and printable views. Each page links back to the relevant interactive tool.
Piano key notation
Label all 88 keys from A0 to C8, locate middle C and compare sharp and flat names.
Open the keyboard notes chart →Chords and inversions
Compare chord spellings across every root, then see how each chord tone changes the bass position.
Open the piano chord chart →Compare chord inversions →Keys and harmony
Connect signatures, relative keys, diatonic chords and circle-of-fifths relationships.
Explore chords in a key →Open the circle of fifths →Print and methodology
Create clean piano references and read the tuning, spelling and source conventions behind every result.
Open printable piano charts →Read methodology and sources →Inside the reference library
Explore clear answers and practical examples
Use the guides to understand chord construction, scale spelling, intervals, keys and harmony. Each explanation links back to an interactive example you can change, hear and print.
Major and minor
C major versus A minor
C major is C–D–E–F–G–A–B. A natural minor is A–B–C–D–E–F–G. They share a signature but organise the pitches around different tonics.
Compare key relationships →Chord construction
One changed degree
C major is C–E–G; C minor is C–E♭–G. Keeping the root and fifth fixed isolates the lowered third.
Build chords step by step →Pentatonic spelling
Explicit omitted degrees
C major pentatonic is C–D–E–G–A because it selects degrees 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.
Open the exact scale →New to theory
Build the vocabulary in order
Start with the keyboard’s black-key groups, then read intervals as both letter spans and semitone distances. Use those intervals to build triads and seventh chords. Finally, place chords inside scales and keys. Each guide includes original diagrams, text equivalents, worked comparisons and a short reference sequence.
Quick reference
Go straight to a precise answer
If you already know the term, use the chord, scale, key and interval indexes. Interactive selections remain in the link so you can bookmark or share the exact answer.
Print resources
Clean views of the answers on screen
Choose a chord, scale, keyboard or key reference, then print a clear version with its note names, formula and labels. Navigation and playback controls stay off the printed page.
Preview printable referencesHow ChordMetric works
Clear conventions and named sources
ChordMetric distinguishes sounding pitch from written note function, states its tuning and spelling conventions, and lists the theory references used for comparison.
Read the methodology and sources