Updated by Danielle
Updated on December 2nd, 2022
Updated several links and made minor changes to copy and article formatting. None of Chordify's ratings were changed.
Chordify Review (Desktop & Iphone App)
Verdict and Review Summary
Though Chordify is limited in terms of its educational breadth, it does a fantastic job of completing its stated mission: Quickly teaching you chord progressions for essentially any song you can access on YouTube. Premium features also add good value for the price.
The Chordify app is a song-learning tool that helps you learn chords by streaming music off YouTube then showing you chord sheets (no tabs) that move in real time as the song plays. This is our full Chordify review covering the app's free side and premium features. To conduct this review we used a full, paid membership and tested the app just like you would if you sat down and bought a membership yourself.
Structure of Our Chordify Review
Since Chordify is available both as a mobile and desktop web app, I used the following items to review:
- iMac (latest version of iOS)
- iPhone (latest version of iOS)
- Desktop PC (running Windows 10)
- Taylor 114ce Acoustic Guitar (to play along)
The process for review included downloading the app onto my phone, browsing through the web-based version of the app, and taking screenshots. I also tested out the premium features of the app with guitar in hand before coming to my final conclusion about Chordify's value.
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Compare Chordify to Other Guitar Lesson Programs
Since we have a ratings system for the guitar lesson resources we review, you can use that to compare the Chordify app to some of the other programs we've rated.
PROGRAM | DETAILS | RATING | TRY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guitar Tricks
| 92.8 | |
| JamPlay
| 88.7 | |
| Chordify
| 80.2 | |
| Yousician
| 72.3 | Full Yousician Review |
| Fender Play
| 67.8 | Full Fender Play Review |
The following table contains all the details of our Chordify rating, which takes into account our experience with both the free and paid portions of the program. Notice that each category is weighted with a specific point value.
Details of Chordify's Rating
Features | Point Value (weight) | Chordify Score | Point Total |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Content Quantity | 15% | 86 | 12.9 |
2. EDU Quality | 20% | 70 | 14 |
2. Topical Order | 20% | 75 | 15 |
3. Concept Coverage | 15% | 80 | 12 |
4. Song Section | 15% | 95 | 14.25 |
7. Video Player | n/a | n/a | |
8. Site Design/Navigation | 5% | 82 | 4.1 |
9. Pricing/Value | 5% | 80 | 4 |
TOTALS | Possible 95 points | 76.2 | |
Compare Chordify to Other Guitar Lesson Programs
Basic Structure of Chordify
The iPhone App
List of Chordify's Premium Features
When is Chordify Premium worth it?
Conclusion
Basic Structure of Chordify
The premise of Chordify is simple.
Instead of giving you tabs, Chordify breaks songs down to just chords and chord sheets. These chord sheets movewith the song which plays through a YouTube embed, and makes it really easy to follow.
Here's a quick look at the interface on the web app:
Basic chord interface in Chordify's web application. Image via Chordify
In the web version of the app, both the chords and the running chord letter lines are visible. In mobile You can switch between the two views, either viewing both at once or just the letters in the chord line. Personally, I thought seeing just the letters was a bit easier.
Chords move along with the song. Image via Chordify
On the web version, you have an "Overview" and "Diagrams" tab, where "Diagrams" is the default state for each song you pull up. If you click on the Overview tab, you'll see just the running chord list and no diagrams.
Here's a screenshot of that view:
In my opinion, the Overview look in the web app is a little easier to follow.
As the song plays, that black square moves to the right and falls on each chord change perfectly.
Just follow the little black square.
The beauty of Chordify is that you can take any song, regardless of complexity, and boil it down tojust chord progressions.From there you can add complexity as you get comfortable with the underlying chords. This is particularly useful for bass players and rhythm-focused guitarists.
The iPhone App
In the mobile version, the square moves from left to right where measures are separated by vertical lines, just like we saw in the web version. The interface is essentially the same thing that we've already seen on the web version, but with a narrower and vertical setup that fits better on the phone's screen.
The square moves from left to right, showing you measures and chord changes in real time.
The video and additional controls - most of which are blocked out without a premium account - are easy to spot in the elements beneath the chord sheet. You can even learn the Friends show theme song, per the screengrab below.
Songs and chords are always running and synced up with their corresponding YouTube video.
Overall this is really helpful and convenient experience. For those that are more comfortable with playing the chords and don't want the complexity of tablature, the Chordify interface is intuitive and extremely easy to use. I also really like the integration and familiarity of YouTube, which gives you a tonof different music to choose from.
Again, this is especially helpful for bass players or rhythm guitar players that want to learn a song without all the headache of tabs and nuanced musical properties.
Keep in mind, I'm commenting entirely on the free content, up to this point.
But what does the Premium side of Chordify offer?
List of Chordify's Premium Features
All of the premium features are wrapped up in the application's functionality. If you look at the menu right above the chord sheet, you can see all the options that are grayed out.
Much of the app's functionality is disabled without a premium account.
The only three options thataren'tdisabled in the free version are the following:
- Play
- Rewind (start over)
- Simplify Chords toggle button
Everything that's left would be categorized as a premium feature. Here's a quick list of what these are and what they do:
- Transpose: Change the key of the song
- Capo: Adjust the song to match a capo at a particular fret
- Chord volume: Change the volume of the chords
- Song volume: Change the volume of the song relative to the chords
- Tempo: Adjust the speed of the song without altering the pitch
- Loop: Loop through certain parts of the song
- MIDI: Connect a midi-compatible device
- Print: Access printable version of the chord sheet
When is Chordify Premium worth it?
Despite the improved functionality of the Premium version, it's probably not something that I would say has equal value to everyone. The free version is so strong that the improvements made on the premium side don't really draw me in as much.
If you're looking at Chordify as more of a learning tool then the paid version is worth it.
On the other hand, if you're an experienced player looking to Chordify as a song-learning resource and you don't anticipate having trouble with the chords or timing of songs, you probably won't get as much out of the paid option.
How much does it cost?
Chordify Premium is really affordable, regardless of your situation. If you buy a year, it comes out to about $3.49 per month, which is a reasonable ask for this type of tool. A month-to-month "lease style" membership is $6.99.
The yearly price for a Chordify Premium membership comes out to $3.49 per month.
Conclusion
To conclude my Chordify review, the cost makes even peripheral use of this program quite valuable. While it won't replace a full-scale guitar lesson program, it can definitely serve as a valuable supplemental resource, particularly if you're in a situation where you play a lot of rhythm guitar.
Worship leaders, songwriters, bass players, cover bands, or anyone that often needs/wants chords for other people’s music should consider using Chordify.
If you're looking for song help in an educational context, the premium features are worth paying for.
Your Questions and Comments
Do you have questions about the program or about how we conducted our Chordify review?
If so, leave them in the comments section and I'll answer there.
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Bobby Kittleberger Bobby is the founder and editor of Guitar Chalk, and is responsible for developing most of its content. He has worked with leading guitar industry companies including Sweetwater, Ultimate-Guitar, Seymour Duncan, PRS, and many others. You can shoot him an email to get in touch. View all posts
