How to Figure Out Chords From a Song by Ear
Figuring out chords by ear sounds like a separate talent, but it's really applying things already covered - finding the key (see [[how-to-find-key-of-a-song:the article on finding the key]]) and intervals (see [[guitar-intervals-explained:the article on intervals]]) - to a specific recording, step by step, not guessing from zero.
Start with the bass, not the guitar
The bass note is an important clue, but it is not necessarily the chord root: inversions, slash chords, pedal tones, and walking lines may put the third, fifth, or even a non-chord tone on the bottom. Find the bass first, then test possible roots and chord qualities against the other voices.
Find the key first
Knowing the song's key (see the article on finding the key) gives you seven diatonic triads as a first candidate list. That does not mean there are only twelve possible chords: inversions, seventh chords, borrowed harmony, secondary dominants, and key changes are common enough that every candidate still needs to be checked by ear.
Major or minor - hear the third
Once the root is confirmed, work out whether the chord is major or minor - physically the difference is just one semitone in the third (see the article on intervals), but by ear major sounds brighter and more 'settled', minor darker and 'sadder'. This is where figuring-out most often goes wrong: the root is right, but the chord's color isn't.
Common progressions are ready-made templates to check against
The C-Am-F-G progression (and its equivalents in other keys) is one of the most common sequences in popular music, period (see the article on 10 chords). If the first two or three chords check out, it's worth checking whether the progression simply continues one of the known templates before guessing each next chord from scratch.
Check your guess by playing along with the recording
Play the guessed chord at the same time as the recording, not after it - if it's right, the sound blends into one; if not, there's an obvious dissonance or a sense that a note is about to 'slide'. That's the fastest way to confirm or rule out a guess, much faster than comparing from memory.
Experimente na prática
Open chord trainer