Visual Piano Chord Recognition Quiz
Look at the highlighted piano keys, identify the chord, and strengthen your ability to recognize chord shapes, qualities, and inversions.
Name the full chord from the highlighted keys.
Major and minor triads in root position.
Look at the highlighted piano keys, hear the chord, then choose the correct answer. The first question never auto-plays — press Start Question when you are ready.
Ready to Practice These Shapes?
Turn recognition into muscle memory with metronome drills in Go Practice.
Why visual chord recognition matters
Seeing a shape on the keyboard and naming it quickly is a core piano skill. It connects theory to your hands and makes reading charts, learning songs, and improvising much faster.
Roots, qualities, and shapes
Every chord has a root and a quality. Major and minor triads are the foundation. Sevenths, sus chords, and extensions change the color while keeping the same root — learning to spot that difference visually is the goal of this quiz.
Inversions change the bass, not the identity
C – E – G, E – G – C, and G – C – E are all C major. Inversion practice trains you to recognize the same chord in different hand positions so changes between chords feel smoother.
How to use this quiz
Pick an exercise and difficulty, press Start Question, listen, then choose from four answers. Review the reveal, visit the chord page if you need a deeper look, then keep drilling until the shapes feel automatic.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I recognize piano chords visually?
- Look at which keys are highlighted, then match the shape to a chord name. Start with major and minor triads in root position, listen for confirmation, and gradually add sevenths and inversions.
- What is a chord inversion?
- An inversion keeps the same chord tones but changes which note is in the bass. First inversion puts the third on the bottom; second inversion puts the fifth on the bottom; seventh chords can also use a third inversion with the seventh in the bass.
- How can I identify a chord’s root?
- In root position the lowest note is usually the root. In inversions, use the overall shape and interval pattern — or practice the Identify the Root mode until bass position no longer tricks you.
- Can I practice seventh chords?
- Yes. Intermediate difficulty includes dominant 7, major 7, and minor 7 chords. Advanced adds diminished 7, half-diminished (m7b5), and related colors.
- Does the quiz include advanced chords?
- Advanced difficulty includes sus2, sus4, add9, sixths, altered fifths, and selected ninth chords — always mapped to the shared Looty Chords registry.
- Can I practice the chord after answering?
- Yes. After each answer you can open the chord page or jump to Go Practice with an honest practice link for that key.