ChordClef

Help & Setup

Get your keyboard talking to ChordClef, learn the app, and troubleshoot common issues.

No sound? Start here

  1. Click anywhere in the app once — browsers block audio until you interact with the page.
  2. Go to MIDI Setup and click Enable MIDI, then pick your keyboard from the device list.
  3. Play a key. If you see the activity indicator flash but hear nothing, open Settings and pick a patch (e.g. Grand Piano). Wait for it to say Sampled or Synth — then play again.
  4. Check your computer's system volume and that the correct output device is selected.

First-time MIDI setup

1
Plug in your keyboard
Connect your MIDI controller (Nektar Impact LX, Akai MPK, Arturia, Casio, Yamaha, etc.) via USB before opening the browser tab. Most controllers are class-compliant and need no drivers.
2
Use a supported browser
Web MIDI works in Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Brave on desktop. Safari and Firefox do not support Web MIDI — use Chrome for the best experience.
3
Enable MIDI in ChordClef
Open MIDI Setup and click Enable MIDI. Your browser will ask permission — click Allow.
4
Pick your device
Choose your keyboard from the device dropdown. Play a note — the Activity meter should flash. If it does, you're connected.
5
Trigger audio
Click any button in the app (this satisfies the browser's audio-unlock rule), then play a key. If your active patch is still loading, notes will trigger the synth fallback while it finishes.

Choosing sounds (patches)

ChordClef ships with 16 gospel- and worship-focused instrument patches: Grand Piano, Rhodes, Wurli, Hammond B3, Church Organ, Clavinet, Vibraphone, Warm Strings, Choir Aahs, Brass, Nylon Guitar, Fingered Bass, Synth Bass, Synth Pad, and more.

  • Use the patch dropdown in the top-right of every page for quick switching.
  • Open Settings → Sound Bank to see all patches in a grid and preload them.
  • Sampled means a real recorded instrument is playing. Synth means the built-in fallback is playing (used when offline or while the sample downloads).
  • Nektar Impact LX / any GM controller: send a Program Change message (0–15) and ChordClef switches patches automatically. Patch #1 = Grand Piano, #2 = Bright Piano, #3 = Rhodes, and so on in the order shown in Settings.

A tour of the app

Home

Landing page with quick links into every mode and your current progress.

Levels

The core curriculum — intervals, triads, sevenths, and voicings in a guided path.

Rhythm

A rhythm-game challenge that trains chord changes in time.

Gospel

Gospel progressions, turnarounds, and worship-service voicings.

Phat Ear

Hear-and-choose drills for identifying gospel "phat" chord voicings by ear.

Jazz

ii–V–I patterns, extensions, and jazz voicings.

Lab

A free-play sandbox — try chords and voicings with any patch.

MIDI

Enable MIDI, pick a device, watch activity and Program-Change messages.

Frequently asked questions

Still stuck?

If none of the above solves it, note (a) your browser and version, (b) the name of your MIDI device, and (c) what the Activity meter on MIDI Setup shows when you play a note. That information pinpoints almost every issue instantly.