Stickey Chords
preview video & app overview

Interactively build chords on the piano by moving characters onto the correct keys. Play with your choice of chords:

major
minor
suspended
augmented
diminished
7th (dominant, major, minor)

Listen to the chord named and to the chord you built for ear training.

Available for iPhone, iPad, android, and Kindle Fire devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the app?

You can use the Stickey Chords app to teach or learn how to play chords on the piano.

Select Build Chords from the main menu. (This is the first activity released in the app.)

First, change the settings to focus on just the type of chords you are interested in. You can select chords with a natural root (white keys) and/or sharp or flat root (black keys). Then select which type of chords (major, minor, suspended, augmented, diminished, or 7th).

The app will display a chord name above the keyboard. Your goal is to move the correct players onto the piano keys that correspond to that chord.

If you drag a player to a key that it cannot play, it will be sent back to its starting position.

Once you have the correct number of players on the keyboard, a clipboard icon will appear below the chord name. Tap the icon to check your answer.
All correct = players get green check marks
Some correct (or in incorrect order) = player gets gray check mark
Incorrect = player gets red x

To change to a new chord, use the arrows near the chord name.

To change the chord inversion, select the icon just to the right of the chord name.

To listen to the chord, tap the chord name.

To listen to the notes played by the keys that are occupied by players, hit the play button.

Hints:

- Major and minor chords use the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes. So, once you've found the player of the 1st note (from the letter name of the chord), skip the next player, use the 3rd player, skip the 4th, and use the 5th. For example, if you have an A major or A minor chord, you will use the players named A, C, and E (A = 1, B = 2 (skip), C = 3, D = 4 (skip), E = 5. Then, you need to figure out which, if any of the players are sharp or flat.

- 7th chords use the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes. So if you have an A7, Am7, or Amaj7, you still use A, C, and E, but also add the 7th note, G. Depending on the type of 7th chord, some of the notes may be sharp or flat.

- Suspended chords replace the 3rd with either the 2nd (sus2) or 4th (sus4).

What devices are compatible with the app?

Stickey Chords is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Amazon Appstore.

Most iPhones, iPads, android phones and tablets, and Kindle Fire devices are compatible. However, there are certain minimum software and hardware requirements.

Check the appropriate app store to verify your device meets the requirements.

Is there a way to reinforce these concepts without a digital device?

Yes! Use the Team Stickey Printable characters, available as a free download at www.stickeynotes.co, to build chords at your piano. It's best to do this activity with someone who can check your work, such as a piano teacher.

Complement the app with printables in the Stickey Notes Etsy store.