Frequently Asked Questions

No. ChordFrog has two modes that work without a keyboard: Leap Quiz (multiple-choice ear training) and Travel Chords (tap to hear any chord). For Lily Pad Drill and Free Pond, a MIDI keyboard is required for real-time chord recognition.

ChordFrog works with any class-compliant USB MIDI keyboard when used with a suitable adapter (e.g. Lightning or USB-C). Bluetooth MIDI keyboards are also supported on compatible iOS devices, so you can connect wirelessly.

In Free Pond (real-time recognition mode), ChordFrog identifies 24 chord types across all 12 roots: major, minor, diminished, augmented, sus2, sus4, major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, diminished 7th, half-diminished (m7♭5), major 6th, minor 6th, add9, minor add9, and — added in version 1.1 — 9, maj9, m9, 13, m11, 7♭9, 7♯9, 7♭5 and 7♯5. Slash chords and inversions (C/E, C/G) are named too. Those nine extended and altered chords are recognised only: quizzes still ask for the same 15 types as before, so recognition can grow without the game quietly getting harder.

Yes, since version 1.1. A seventh chord voiced without its fifth — root, third and seventh, which is how most pianists actually play one — is now named correctly instead of coming up blank. The fifth is the only note ChordFrog will let you leave out, because it carries no information the root does not already imply. The root is deliberately not optional: a rootless C9 is literally the notes of an Em7♭5, and guessing between them would turn a correct answer into a coin flip.

Level 1 (The Campfire) covers the most common chords in pop and folk — white-key majors plus Am, Em, and Dm. Level 2 (The Session) adds all remaining major and minor chords. Level 3 (The Gig) adds dominant 7th and major 7th. Level 4 (The Studio) adds minor 7th, sus2, and sus4. Level 5 (The Abyss) includes everything — diminished, augmented, 6ths, and more. You can practise any level in Lily Pad Drill or Leap Quiz.

Yes. Start with Level 1 and Leap Quiz or Travel Chords to build familiarity. When you have access to a MIDI keyboard, Lily Pad Drill and Free Pond give instant feedback to reinforce recognition.

ChordFrog requires iOS 16 or later. It runs on iPhone and iPad. For MIDI, use a Lightning or USB-C adapter for USB MIDI, or a Bluetooth MIDI keyboard where supported.

Yes — free to download, and every mode is available from the moment you install it. Nothing is held back behind a purchase. ChordFrog pays for itself with ads: Google AdMob shows a banner and an occasional full-screen ad between rounds. The privacy page sets out exactly what that involves.

Yes. Share a Challenge lets you pick up to three chords and renders a 9:16 video — the chord plays, a countdown runs, then the answer appears. Turn Show answers off and it ends on a cliffhanger instead, so viewers have to guess. The finished video goes out through the normal iOS share sheet, so it works with TikTok, Instagram, Messages or anything else on your phone. You can also build one straight from a Leap Quiz round you just played, pre-filled with the chords you missed.

My Pond shows every chord you have practised, weakest first. Mastery appears as pond growth — tadpole, froglet, frog — with the percentage and the number of attempts underneath. "Drill my weakest chords" starts a Leap Quiz round built from the five chords you keep getting wrong, so you do not have to work out what to practise. The app has been recording this since version 1.0.2; version 1.1 is where it became visible.

Yes, with no setup. Say "Start an ear training drill in ChordFrog", "Drill my weakest chords in ChordFrog", or "How is my ear training going in ChordFrog" — the last one answers out loud without opening the app. The same actions are available as blocks in the Shortcuts app.

Ten to fifteen minutes of focused practice is more effective than an hour of unfocused play. ChordFrog sessions are designed for short bursts — you can complete meaningful practice in the time it takes to drink a coffee.

ChordFrog analyses the MIDI note data from your keyboard in real time. It identifies the root, chord quality, and inversion based on the pitches you play. No audio analysis is involved — it reads the MIDI messages directly, which is why recognition is instant and accurate.

Yes — Free Pond recognises major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, diminished 7th, half-diminished (m7♭5), major 6th, minor 6th, add9, and minor add9 chords in real time, plus the extended chords added in 1.1: 9, maj9, m9, 13, m11, 7♭9, 7♯9, 7♭5 and 7♯5. The ear training levels introduce sevenths gradually: Level 3 (The Gig) adds dominant 7th and major 7th, and Level 4 (The Studio) adds minor 7th.

Both training modes run 10-question rounds with a maximum score of 100 points. Each question gives you up to 3 tries: a correct first try scores 10 points, second try 6 points, third try 3 points, and if all three tries fail you score 0 and see the answer. An in-round HUD tracks your current question, score, and remaining tries.

Yes. All chord recognition, audio playback, and quiz content works without an internet connection. You can practise on a plane, underground, or anywhere without Wi-Fi.

Yes. Audio routes to whatever output your iPhone or iPad is using — built-in speakers, wired headphones, AirPods, or Bluetooth speakers. For the best ear training experience, headphones are recommended as they reduce ambient noise.

ChordFrog uses the Salamander Grand Piano sample library, a high-quality recording of a real acoustic grand piano released under Creative Commons BY 3.0. Ear training works best with a natural piano sound, so this was a deliberate choice over synthetic alternatives.

Email [email protected]. Every message is read and considered. Bug reports with specific steps to reproduce are especially helpful.

Practice progress stays on your device and syncs through your own iCloud account — it never reaches a server we run, and there are no accounts to create. Two third parties do receive data: Google AdMob, which serves the ads and may collect an advertising identifier, device information and coarse location; and Sentry, which receives anonymous crash reports on EU servers. The privacy page lists all of it, field by field.