Guitar chord trainer - Riffonic

Learn chords and chord changes to a metronome: random progressions, strumming patterns and a drum backing track.

Riffonic is an interactive platform for learning guitar and bass, creating tabs and riffs, and training rhythm, chords, and technique directly in the browser.

How to practise chord changes

Choose a prepared chord progression or generate a random compatible sequence, then practise it in a loop. Start with a familiar key and a few chords you encounter in songs. Focus on the change itself: form the first chord, prepare your fingers for the next shape, and move at the bar line. Do not speed up until your fingers land on the right strings consistently.

If one transition is harder than the others, do not repeat the whole sequence blindly. Isolate the pair of chords where time is lost and practise only that change. After several clean switches, put the pair back into the progression and check whether the movement still works in musical context. This turns a recurring mistake into a specific practice task.

Chords with a metronome and drums

The metronome sets the pulse, and a count-in gives you time to place your hands before the progression begins. Choose one or two bars of count-in if helpful. Start with one strum per chord and change shapes on the downbeat. Then add quarter- or eighth-note patterns while keeping the pulse even at every chord change. Raise the BPM only after several steady cycles in a row.

When the changes are stable, turn on the drum backing and choose a groove. Drums add musical context and help you hear how the chords sit in the rhythm. If the part starts to fall apart, return to a simpler pattern or turn off the backing and isolate the change. The backing supports your playing; it does not replace clean fingering or internal counting.

Strumming and picking over chords

Choose strumming or picking for the progression. Patterns include quarter notes, eighth notes, and shuffle; in the combined mode, strumming and picking alternate by bar. This lets you practise left-hand chord shapes and right-hand coordination across a whole progression. If the pattern is too difficult, play each chord once and make the transitions clean before adding right-hand movement.

Picking over a chord does not mean you must speed up your fingers and change shapes at the same time. Secure the chord first, play the picking pattern on one shape, then restore the progression. Keep the bass note and upper strings distinct; even dynamics and avoiding unwanted strings often matter more than speed.

Choosing a level and progression

The chord library offers levels from easy open shapes to more demanding forms and barre chords. Choose a level where you can form each chord without pain or unnecessary tension. Prepared progressions provide musical sequences; the random generator creates a new compatible sequence from the selected chord set. You can also replace a chord in the progression or build a custom sequence from the catalogue.

Search the chord catalogue by name, root, or quality. You do not need to memorise every shape at once: choose a few common forms and get comfortable moving between them. When the current level feels predictable, move up gradually or add seventh chords and other new shapes one at a time.

Common chord-practice mistakes

A common mistake is trying to learn many new shapes, a difficult strum, and a fast tempo all at once. Break the task down: clean chord tone, movement between two shapes, rhythm, and finally the full progression. If a string buzzes or is muted, check finger placement and pressure; simply playing faster will not fix the cause.

A focused short session could use three or four chords at a slow tempo, isolate the hardest transition, and then restore the full sequence with strumming or picking. Add the drum backing only when the progression feels secure. Stop if you feel pain; regular, relaxed repetitions are more useful than a long session with a tense hand.