WhatChord MIDI
Aaron Bull Schaefer Music iPhoneiPadiPod touch
WhatChord MIDI is a free Music app for iPhone and iPad by Aaron Bull Schaefer. Rated 5.0/5 from 1 ratings. Requires iOS 15.0. Updated August 31, 2026.
- Rating
- 5.0
- 1 ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 24 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Aug 31
- 2026 · v2026.08.28
Screenshots
About WhatChord MIDI
Identify chords from live MIDI or manual note entry, follow the key as you play, then explore the harmony behind them. Stop guessing what chord you're playing. WhatChord gives musicians fast, musically informed chord names and live key context. Connect a Bluetooth or USB MIDI keyboard for instant feedback, or use the lookup pad to enter notes from any instrument, sheet music, or recording. Auto key detection listens to your recent live chords, shows confidence, and waits when the evidence is ambiguous. Explore Chords and Explore Scales let you build and hear chords, browse a wide range of scales, inspect keyboard patterns, and understand diatonic harmony. Play it. Explore it. Learn it. WhatChord goes beyond simple note matching. Its musically informed analysis considers inversions, extensions, slash chords, altered tones, key context, and conventional naming practices so chord names appear the way musicians expect to see them. When you're comping with a bassist, Ensemble mode names rootless voicings as the chords they imply and marks the implied root on the keyboard. FEATURES - Real-time chord recognition Chord names update immediately as you play. - Automatic key detection Auto mode estimates the current key from recent live chords, shows confidence across major and minor keys, and can keep the app's key context following your playing. - Manual chord lookup Enter notes directly to identify a chord, choose its bass note, and inspect alternative interpretations without connecting a MIDI device. - Explore chords Tap the chord card to open explore mode and build or hear chords without a keyboard by adjusting the root, quality, extensions, and bass note. - Explore scales Tap the scale-degree strip to browse a wide range of scales with tones, keyboard patterns, and diatonic chords. - Musically informed analysis Recognizes inversions, extensions, slash chords, upper structures, altered tones, and complex harmony. - Ensemble mode When comping with a bassist, switch to Ensemble so rootless voicings are named as the chords they imply. - Alternative interpretations See other valid chord names when more than one reading makes musical sense. - Context-aware spelling Uses enharmonic notation based on key signature and chord function. - Customizable notation Choose the chord symbol style you prefer. - MIDI compatibility Works with standard Bluetooth MIDI and USB MIDI keyboards and controllers. RECOGNITION WhatChord identifies everything from simple triads to rich extended harmony and follows key context from real playing. Whether you're practicing theory, learning progressions, exploring altered dominants, or working through dense extended chords, the app names what you play with accuracy and musical intent. PRIVACY WhatChord is free, contains no ads, and collects no personal data. All analysis happens locally on your device. GET STARTED Play through MIDI, enter notes manually, or start exploring chords, keys, and scales right away.
What’s new
Version 2026.08.28 · Updated August 31, 2026
- Live MIDI now recognizes clear polychords and displays them in familiar stacked notation. - Chord names now wait for your notes to settle, reducing flashes during rolled chords, passing tones, and pedal-heavy transitions. - Bare shell voicings now include an omitted-third dominant-seventh alternative. - Help & Support now links directly to the Scale Degree Guide. - All Sound Off messages now clear held notes correctly.
App privacy
The developer, Aaron Bull Schaefer, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Alternatives to WhatChord MIDI
Looking for apps like WhatChord MIDI? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is ChordWise: Piano Chords (5.0/5), and all 6 are free to download.
-
ChordWise: Piano Chords
5.0
-
MIDI Piano & Guitar Chords
4.5
-
SynthBridge MIDI Synth
4.7
-
MIDI Scribe
-
MIDI Controller/Oscilloscope
5.0
-
MIDI Memos: Recorder + Player
5.0
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| WhatChord MIDI | 5.0 / 5 (1 rating) | Free | August 31, 2026 |
| ChordWise: Piano Chords | 5.0 / 5 (3) | Free | Sep 22, 2026 |
| MIDI Piano & Guitar Chords | 4.5 / 5 (2) | Free | Aug 14, 2026 |
| SynthBridge MIDI Synth | 4.7 / 5 (3) | Free | Sep 10, 2026 |
| MIDI Scribe | – | Free | Jun 9, 2026 |
| MIDI Controller/Oscilloscope | 5.0 / 5 (1) | Free | Apr 30, 2026 |
| MIDI Memos: Recorder + Player | 5.0 / 5 (2) | Free | Aug 18, 2026 |