Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chord Pickout?

Chord Pickout is a program that helps to recognize and register the chords of a song. It scans the song file and reveals the list of chords present.

Why choose Chord Pickout?

Chord Pickout is of great assistance if you have difficulties in recognizing chords by ear alone. It is intended for those with a basic understanding of chord progression and some experience of playing a musical instrument. Chord Pickout acts as a guide to song chords, and shows an approximate score that can sometimes contain chords not present in the song. This is why it is a practical tool, designed for the musician to use in combination with an instrument when listening to a song. In most cases, it is easy to immediately determine the chords present in a song and those that are not.

What if you have no experience playing an instrument, but still want to pick out chords to a song?

You can use our expert service for picking out chords. Our specialists are on hand to pick out chords to a song that you want to play. You should send us a file containing the required song, pay for the order and wait while our specialists pick out the chords of the song and email them to you within 48 hours. In addition, we can also provide full transcriptions of any specified instrument or part in a song - melodies, solos, chords, bass lines, and even drums. Please click here to read more about our Music Transcription service.

How to use Chord Pickout for chord recognition?

You should start Chord Pickout and open the file containing your selected song. The song can be in the MP3, WMA, WAV formats or a CD track. Chord Pickout will analyze the file and show its approximate score.

The suggested chords are different from those heard in the song! What is the solution?

The task of picking out exact chords can be very difficult so Chord Pickout shows only the approximate structure of a song. In addition to the correct chords, this score may also contain extra chords that are actually absent from the song. However, if you have some skill in playing a musical instrument, it is usually easy to detect the chords present in the song and those that are not. To do this, you should start playing the song and play the chords on the instrument that the program offers. "Extra" chords will not match the tune, while correct chords will match perfectly.

I have already detected both the correct and incorrect chords. How do I remove extra chords from the score and leave only those that are correct?

You can edit the score shown in Chord Pickout. To edit a line in the score, all you need to do is click it. The line will then behave as a regular input field, allowing you to use the delete and backspace keys to remove all extra chords and insert new ones. You can use the spacebar to adjust chords by sound moments. You can use the "Up" and "Down" arrow buttons on your keyboard to move between lines with chords.

I have edited the score and am satisfied with the results. Can I also add the lyrics of the song to file?

Yes, you can add the lyrics of the song. To do this, click the line below that containing the chords and enter the words. The first input field is labeled "Type the lyrics in here". You can type the necessary words in this field and toggle between the rest of the lines using the "Up" and "Down" arrow buttons.

My score is ready! Can I print it?

Yes, you can print the score. To do this, click the printer button in the toolbar or select the "File - Print" menu item.

I have to play this song. Can I use Chord Pickout to view the chords during the performance?

Yes, you can use Chord Pickout during your performances. After you open the file containing your score, Chord Pickout will start to play it (if this does not happen, select the "View - Options - Play Automatically On Opening" checkbox). You can view the song structure and play the chords that are shown on the screen. You can also set a larger font for easier reading of the song lyrics. In order to do this, use the "View - Options - Font Size" menu item and select the necessary font size.

Latest News

March 10, 2007

Chord Pickout 1.6 is released. MP3, OGG, AAC, M4A & Audio CD formats added.