Chord Sleuth

Chords are hard to figure out. Chord Sleuth is a web-based tool created to help guitarists make music. The tool has two functionalities: (1) A mathematically-calculated finger placement prediction tool, where users can learn chords and their respective finger placements on a guitar neck; and (2) An AI-powered chord progression generator which intelligently generates a harmonic progression from a user’s choice of chord. Chord Sleuth acts as a tool for guitarists of any skill level to learn chords and their progressions – the foundations of creating music. The website, designed with practicing musicians in mind, is optimized for a mobile device or tablet. The light-weight, minimalistic design gives way to quick and color-coded interpretation of chords and their placement. The sleek fretboard representation allows for users to see only what they need to — dense information without unnecessary clutter. The seamless design keeps users focused on playing, not navigating. With a custom AI trained on real-world chord progressions, users can generate chord progressions that are inspired by real music. When a user inputs a chord for progression generation, Chord Sleuth not only outputs an unique harmonic progression, but also the chords’ finger placements. This pipeline of user input — based on the realistic scenario of the user discovering a chord they like and the motivation to build upon it — fosters an interest-driven exploration of music and its creation. Most online guitar tools rely on standard tuning and preset chord placements, limiting their applicability for millions of songs. Chord Sleuth stands out for its ability to customize tuning and predict any chord’s exact finger placement. Moreover, Chord Sleuth’s AI-generated chord progressions goes beyond simple randomization or static rules, and is instead grounded in real-world data of a user-selected chord’s use in existing songs. Chord Sleuth is also the first tool to consider a user’s placement on the fretboard while predicting a chord. When placing a chord, there can be multiple different locations with different finger placements for each (with the different possibilities referred to as voicings). Chord Sleuth considers a user’s input as to where on the fretboard they want to play the chord while generating a voicing. By bridging the gap between learning and composition, Chord Sleuth accelerates the creative process for guitarists at any level. This tool is an intelligent, adaptive, and easy-to-use resource that helps artists personalize their learning experience by working with the tunings, chords, and progressions that interest them. Whether you’re a beginner learning chords, an intermediate guitarist looking to experiment, or an experienced musician looking for inspiration, Chord Sleuth has something for you.