Practice Real Songs with Chord Charts

Rather than traditional sheet music, many pianists and guitarists use chord charts — a shorthand map of the song that tells you which chord to play and roughly when to change. Charts don't specify how to express the music: the rhythm, voicing, and style are yours to interpret. That freedom is what makes chord-based playing feel so immediate and personal.

Tip Available in Tiny Instrument 2.1.0.

A measure-based chart uses bar lines to show exactly how many beats each chord lasts. Each block between bar lines is one measure. A time signature like 4/4 tells you there are 4 beats per measure. Two chords sharing one measure split the beats equally — so in 4/4, each gets 2 beats. A double bar with a colon ( :|| ) means repeat the section.

Example: | C | Am | F G | C :||

Tip If a chart shows dashes or slashes between chords in a measure (e.g. C - - - | Am), those mark individual beats — hold C for 4 beats, then play Am for the next measure.

In a chords-over-lyrics chart, chord symbols float above the words at the exact syllable where you change chords. These are the most common charts online and ideal when you want to sing along while playing.

Example:
Am C D
There is a house in New Orleans

The chord symbol appears above the syllable where you make the change. You don't need to count beats precisely — your ear guides the timing as you become familiar with the song.

Tip Chords-over-lyrics charts require some familiarity with how the song sounds. Listen to the recording once or twice before practicing.

A chord symbol is built from a root note and a quality. The most common ones:

• C — C major triad (bright, happy)
• Cm — C minor triad (darker, more serious)
• Cdim or C° — C diminished (tense, unstable)
• Caug or C+ — C augmented (dreamy, unresolved)
• Cmaj7 — C major 7th (warm, jazzy)
• C7 — C dominant 7th (bluesy, wants to resolve)
• Cm7 — C minor 7th (soulful, smooth)
• Csus4 — C suspended 4th (open, unresolved — often resolves to C)

When you encounter a symbol you don't recognise, search for it followed by "piano" — for example "Gadd9 piano" — to find a quick fingering.

Tip You can substitute a plain major triad for Cmaj7 or C7, and a minor triad for Cm7, while you're learning. The song will still sound right.

A slash chord like F/C means play an F major chord in the right hand with a C as the lowest note in the left hand. The symbol to the left of the slash is the main chord; the symbol to the right is the bass note your left hand plays.

Slash chords are common in ballads and pop songs — they create a smooth, walking bass line as chords change. G/B, C/E, and Am/E are among the most frequently seen.

In Tiny Instrument, the app automatically routes the bass note to your left hand when a slash chord is detected.

Open the Compose tab and tap Songbook in the sidebar. Tap + New Song → Import. Paste a chord chart directly — either measure-based or chords-over-lyrics format. The app parses sections (Verse, Chorus, Bridge) automatically. Any chord symbol it couldn't recognise is flagged for a quick review before you start playing.

You can also tap + New Song → Build to create a chart from scratch using the chord picker.

Tip Sites like Ultimate Guitar list chords for almost any song. Open a song page, copy the chord chart, and paste it directly into Tiny Instrument.

[Verse]
C           G
Day is done, now it's over
Am          F
Time to rest and start again
C           G
Sun goes down behind the mountains
Am     G     C
Peaceful end to another day

[Chorus]
F           C
Hold on tight, don't let go
G           Am
Everything is gonna be alright
F        C      G
Just breathe in, breathe out
C
And carry on

Once a song is imported, the reference view shows the full chart — chords above lyrics, section headers visible. Tap Play and the current chord highlights and advances automatically at the song tempo. The view scrolls to keep the current chord in view. Tap any chord to hear how it sounds before you play it yourself.

Tip Start at a slower tempo using the BPM control at the top. Build up to the original speed once you know the changes.

Tap Practice on any song to open the setup panel. Choose a scope — the whole song or a single section like the Chorus. Select Chase the Notes or Falling Notes, configure your play mode (block, arpeggio, or strum), and tap Start. The app waits for you to play each chord correctly before advancing — ideal for building muscle memory on tricky chord changes.

Tip Use Beginner Match mode to advance on any correct chord tone rather than requiring the full chord. It's much more forgiving while you're still learning the shapes.

Two of the best sources for piano-friendly chord charts:

Tip When searching Ultimate Guitar, look for charts marked as "Official" or those with the highest ratings — they tend to be more accurate.