Learn to read notation one chord at a time

Each chord is printed on a staff instead of named, either stacked or laid out as a run of notes going up, going down or in shuffled order.

Recognize the chord at a glance

Beginners read music one note at a time: find the line or space, then count up from a note they know. Fluent readers look at a stack of notes and recognize the chord, much as you read a word without spelling it out.

You can practice this directly. Switch the question from the chord’s name to the chord on a staff, and each question becomes a short reading exercise that you answer on the keys.

The practice screen with the question printed on a treble staff, the keyboard hint below. — The question is printed on the staff, and you answer on the keys.

Four ways to print the same chord

The same four notes can be printed in four layouts, and each one practices something different:

Harmonic: the notes are stacked, as a chord is written in a score, so you learn to read the shape at a glance.
Ascending: the notes run left to right from the bottom, like a broken chord played bass first.
Descending: the notes run from the top down. Beginners find this direction harder, which is a good reason to practice it.
Shuffle: the notes come in random order, so there is no shape to rely on and you have to read every note.

A seventh chord printed as a stack of four notes on a treble staff. — Harmonic: all four notes stacked.

The same chord printed as four notes rising from left to right. — Ascending: bass first, then up.

The same chord printed as four notes falling from left to right. — Descending: from the top down.

The same chord printed as four notes in a mixed order. — Shuffle: the notes in random order.

Where to set it

You choose the layout in Preferences, next to the other notation options: whole notes or filled ones, the clef shown or hidden, and the root highlighted. The layout does not affect how you play the chord. You can read it shuffled and play it as a block, or read it stacked and roll it.

The notation settings: layout (harmonic, ascending, descending, shuffle), whole notes, root highlight. — The layout and the smaller options that make reading easier or harder.

Without a keyboard, you can use the naming quiz with the staff as well: read the chord and pick its name.

Try a reading drill

Sevenths, stacked Read the shape at a glance. Try it →Sevenths, rising A broken chord, bass first. Try it →Sevenths, falling The direction beginners find harder. Try it →Sevenths, shuffled Random order, so you read every note. Try it →

All the features