Make the game useful
A major triad uses root, major third and perfect fifth; a minor triad lowers the third by one semitone.
Start at level one and change only one setting at a time. Listen before choosing a response, compare the feedback with the notes and try the same puzzle again when a mistake reveals something uncertain. Five first-attempt successes at one level suggest trying the next level, but every level is available from the start.
Practice mode creates a new question each time. The daily mode uses your device’s calendar date and chosen level to make a repeatable puzzle. Optional saving remembers stars and adds supported first answers to the local progress dashboard. It requires no account and does not synchronize between browsers. A score describes this small task, not your ability to perform a whole piece.
Chord puzzle practice guide
Claude-assisted guide · checked against this game
A practical guide to the Chord puzzle game, explaining how major and minor triads are built and how to find a missing note by ear and by theory.
Why triads matter
A major or minor triad contains three different chord tones: a root, a third and a perfect fifth above the root. The prompt supplies the root and quality by name and shows two of the tones. Your task is to choose the missing pitch in the displayed register. These questions are explicitly about triads, not seventh chords, inversions or identifying the key of a song.
Major and minor shapes
A major triad uses a root, a major third (four semitones above the root) and a perfect fifth (seven semitones above the root). For a C major triad, the notes are C, E and G. A minor triad keeps the same root and fifth but lowers the third by one semitone, giving a minor third of three semitones. For a C minor triad, the notes are C, E-flat and G. Notice that only one note changes between the two chords. This is why a minor chord often sounds like a major chord with a slightly darker color, and why the third is the most useful note to listen for when deciding between the two. As an original example, suppose the game plays C, G and an unknown middle note. If the unknown note is E, the chord is C major. If it is E-flat, the chord is C minor. Listening for the third, rather than memorizing whole chord shapes, usually gives you the answer faster.
Finding the missing note
Read the named root and quality first, then list the complete triad. For C major, C4 E4 G4 is the requested collection. If C4 and G4 are shown, E4 is missing; if E4 and G4 are shown, C4 is missing. A third is major or minor, not a perfect interval. Listen replays only the supplied tones, so use the written root and quality to decide what completes the chord. A hint reveals the expected pitch and makes this a supported practice attempt rather than a clean-star attempt.
Using the game well
The game offers five freely selectable difficulty levels, so you can begin where you feel comfortable and move up when the puzzles feel predictable. Daily seeded puzzles repeat for the same local date, game and level, which makes practice comparable from day to day. If a puzzle does not go the way you hoped, Retry this puzzle lets you attempt the same question again. Stars are stored locally on your device and are awarded only when you complete a puzzle without hints or mistakes. When you answer, click the keys between C4 and C6 on screen. Work slowly enough to hear each note before deciding. Memory mode extends the idea by asking you to recall three to seven notes in the order they were played, with no timing assessment, so the focus stays on accurate recall rather than speed. Other games in the collection use a single-note answer, which is a useful warm-up for the triad skill because it trains your ear to isolate one pitch at a time.
Practicing away from the screen
If you also have a physical piano or keyboard, you can practice the same idea away from the browser. Choose any white key as a root, play it, then play the key four semitones above it and then the key seven semitones above it. Listen carefully to the major sound. Then lower the middle key by one semitone and listen again to the minor sound. This physical-instrument exercise is independent of the game and needs no special equipment. Adapt the spacing to whatever feels comfortable for your hands, and do not force a stretch that causes discomfort.