# Polychord: Chord Instrument — Songwriting pads, AUv3 MIDI > Musical instrument app for playing chords, songwriting, and MIDI control. (iPhone/iPad app by Apposite.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polychord-chord-instrument/id402625491 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Apposite](https://appshunter.io/developer/481890610) - Category: Music, Entertainment - Price: $9.99 - Rating: 4.40/5 from 39 App Store ratings · 125 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 23 MB - Languages: American English, German (Germany), Japanese - Released: 2010-11-13 - Data updated: 2026-08-14 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polychord-chord-instrument/id402625491/reviews.md ## What is Polychord? Polychord turns your iPad into a chord instrument — a full band at your fingertips. Nine chord circles hold every chord in your key — arranged so the right one is always under your fingers. Tap a circle to hear it, and the ring around it offers the colors: sevenths, sixths, suspensions. Strum across the keys like a harp. You can't hit a wrong note, and you never have to stop and think. Flip on Auto Accompany and a rhythm section falls in behind you: bass and drums that follow every chord change you make, in styles from folk to funk to krautrock. One finger becomes a band. When something good happens, hit record. Loop, layer, and bounce it to audio, or export multi-track MIDI with chords, strum, bass, arpeggiator, and drums on separate tracks, ready for your DAW. In the studio, Polychord comes with you. The AUv3 MIDI-effect plugin puts the chord grid inside DAWs like Logic Pro that support MIDI effects, and MIDI in and out means it can play — or be played by — everything else you own. Whether you've played for twenty years or never learned an instrument, Polychord closes the gap between imagining music and making it. FEATURES • Nine chord circles covering the full harmony of any major or minor key • Chord palettes for folk, jazz, gospel, bossa nova, soul, cinematic, and more • Strum keys with pitch bend • Auto Accompany: bass lines and drum patterns that follow your chords • Arpeggiator with adjustable direction, rate, and octave span • Built-in wavetable synth with ADSR envelopes, filter, delay, and bitcrusher • Record performances and bounce to audio • Multi-track MIDI export: chords, strum, bass, arpeggiator, and drums on separate tracks • MIDI out to any app or hardware; MIDI in to trigger chords from a keyboard • You can even split your MIDI output to trigger multiple instruments at once in DAWs like Logic • AUv3 MIDI-effect plugin: play the chord grid inside your favorite host • AUv3 works in DAWs like Logic Pro that support MIDI effect plug-ins Polychord is a one-time purchase. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no account. Your music stays yours. ## Key features - Play chords from diverse palettes - Strum and solo in key - Auto-accompaniment band feature - MIDI control for DAWs - Songwriting tools ## What do users think of Polychord? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🎵 Intuitive chord progression interface - 🎹 Excellent MIDI controller functionality - 🎸 Digital Omnichord replacement - 📱 Audiobus integration support - 🎼 Great for music theory learning - ✨ Beautiful and elegant UI design - 🔊 Warm, vintage synth sounds - 🎯 Easy to use for beginners and professionals - ⚡ Low latency MIDI over WiFi - 🎨 Customizable sound parameters (ADSR, filters) **Cons** - ⚠️ App no longer actively developed - 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues - 📦 Limited built-in sound variety - 🔄 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions - 🎚️ Limited chord selection at once (3x3 grid) - 🔊 Low maximum volume output - ⏱️ Occasional latency and lag issues - 🎛️ Minimal customization options - 🚫 MIDI implementation has bugs - 💰 Expensive for feature set ($9.99-$10) **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes during recording - Incompatible with iOS 8+ on older devices - MIDI off messages not sent properly - Sporadic glitches with Logic Pro and GarageBand - Sound occasionally disappears until app restart - Strum keys disappear or become unresponsive - Record button resets project - Chord release affects all sustained chords - Visual glitches on Retina display - App not receiving updates for compatibility **Most requested features** - Custom chord creation and palette selection - Copy and paste functionality - Save and load configurations/presets - Additional instrument sounds and drum kits - Retina display support - Metronome and click track - Recording improvements (overdub, undo) - Visual chord progression tracker - Velocity control via accelerometer - Chord builder for custom chords - Master tune control - Extended chord types (M9, m9, M13, etc.) - Slash chords support - More scales (bebop, mixolydian, etc.) - Strum keys with note labels - Full iPad width strum section - AUv3 plugin support - Inverted chord options - MIDI channel routing - Audio copy/paste support ## Recent user reviews (10 of 125) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polychord-chord-instrument/id402625491/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Run it in Guided Access *2023-12-01* love the app & use it with Riff Station, which give me the chords from any song & transpose it to what Polychord can handle. While strumming Polychord, you can accidentally shrink & close it, … so I lock the app down by running it with IPad Guided Access. Thanks sooo much for a great running app. My wish is to be able to select the individual chords to place on the palette. ### 5/5 — UPDATE PRETTY PLEASE! *2022-12-28* Really dope app! Sooooooooo wish they would update it. I’d pay for an update!!! ### 4/5 — Please Update!!! *2022-11-15* Loved this app for a minute until it stopped getting updated. Really wish the Devs would make it work again; and if that ever happens I’m crossing my fingers that it’s with AUv3. ### 2/5 — Pretty cool but not in active development *2021-01-17, version 2.9.3* Virtual MIDI was not quite ever updated. ### 5/5 — Wonderful! *2020-01-28, version 2.9.3* Very nice chord and styles machine....I really love it! ### 1/5 — Not compatible *2018-08-17, version 2.9.2* I have above os 8. Will not update saying not compatible. Paid good money for this app :-( ### 1/5 — Still can't update *2018-08-03, version 2.9.2* When this app introduced 64bit support I was unable to update it on my iphone 5 or my iPad 4th gene, I was gutted at the thought that 64bit support = no more 32bit updates. Then it did indeed update at a later date on my iphone 5. But its still nagging me to update on the 4th gen iPad but tells me it's not compatible and offers me the version I already have.. Please fix it :( after all these months no reply from the dev.. Why don't devs read reviews from 4 stars to one. :( ### 1/5 — Not worth $$$ *2018-07-25* Unless I'm missing something pretty major, there's no way this app is worth ten bucks. Lowering to one star... Midi out for arp and bass don’t send midi off’s... could be so cool. As it is now, it’s broken and seems to be abandoned... **Developer response:** Hello, we have a new version out — more MIDI options including the ability to split a chord into many channels! Hope you'll check it out! ### 1/5 — No longer compatible... *2018-04-13, version 2.9.2* Really disappointing that the first version with 64 bit support is no longer compatible with my 3rd gen iPad. The OS on my iPad is newer the required version so there's really no excuse. ### 5/5 — Updated! Thank you! *2018-02-16, version 2.9.3* Beautifully thought out interface and expressive to play. I adore this app! ## Frequently asked questions about Polychord ### What does Polychord do? Polychord is a musical instrument app designed for both beginners and experts. It allows users to easily play chords from various palettes, strum and solo with confidence as everything stays in key, and utilize an auto-accompaniment feature for a full band sound. It also offers advanced MIDI options for controlling other music production software. ### What are the key features of Polychord? Key features include playing chords from a wide variety of palettes, the ability to strum and solo with everything staying in key, an auto-accompaniment feature that provides a full band, and extensive MIDI options for controlling DAWs like GarageBand or Logic. It also serves as a songwriting tool. ### How much does Polychord cost? Based on the provided information, Polychord is a paid application. It does not have in-app purchases or ads, indicating a one-time purchase model for the full functionality. ### What kind of music can I create with Polychord? Polychord is versatile for various musical endeavors. Whether you're a novice exploring chords or an experienced songwriter looking for new ideas, you can create a wide range of music. The app's intuitive design makes it easy to generate melodies, experiment with chord progressions, and even produce full song ideas. ### Is Polychord compatible with other music software? Yes, Polychord offers extensive MIDI options that allow it to control your favorite Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). This includes popular software like Apple's GarageBand and Logic, enabling you to integrate its chord playing and songwriting capabilities into your existing music production workflow. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.1.1 — 2026-08-11 Polychord grows up and plugs in: • New AUv3 MIDI-effect plugin — play Polychord's chord grid inside DAWs like Logic Pro • MIDI input: trigger chords from any external keyboard or controller • Export performances as multi-track MIDI — chords, strum, bass, arpeggiator, and drums on separate tracks • Now localized in Japanese and German • Bug fixes and performance improvements ### 3.1 — 2026-08-09 Polychord grows up and plugs in: • New AUv3 MIDI-effect plugin — play Polychord's chord grid inside DAWs like Logic Pro • MIDI input: trigger chords from any external keyboard or controller • Export performances as multi-track MIDI — chords, strum, bass, arpeggiator, and drums on separate tracks • Now localized in Japanese and German • Bug fixes and performance improvements ### 3 — 2026-02-01 Polychord is back! Celebrating over 15 years on the App Store. Big update, please read to the bottom for important details. Over the years it has been tempting to rewrite Polychord, but ultimately it deserves to be treated like a classic. Polychord has a unique tone and personality, and it's one of those apps that has just kept working. People keep discovering it every day. There've been lots of things we've wanted to fix and improve over the years, and the time was finally right. Here's what's new: # Looping # You can now loop chord progressions, and even strum key melodies. Tap loop, wait for the count-in, and then tap loop again. Press clear to remove it. You can save separate loops to the hot-keys by pressing and holding them. This allows you to quickly switch between loops – like for a verse, or chorus. # Full Drum Synth Control # Polychord's classic drum synth is now fully customizable by voice. Change the kick to a booming long decay. Make the high-hats tight and crisp. Crank up the noise decay on the snare. This opens up a ton of variety for Polychord's auto-accompaniment. # Bitshift # Love the chip-tunes sound? Now all the instruments include both bitrate and bits controls, so you can close your eyes and go on an 8-bit quest. # Arpeggiator Improvements # You can now control the number of octaves arpeggios climb / descend. And you can choose whether the arp follows the chords or a scale! We've also given you a 'swing' parameter. # Fatter, Nastier Saw Waves # Our analog modeled Saw Waves got a lot more ooomf. You can still filter them if you want, but now you also have the ability to great some great, powerful analog sounding tones. # Chord Inversions # You can now choose between several voicing for chords! And if your arpeggiator is following the chord's notes, it will honor your inversion choice. # More Chord Palettes # The simple Major/Minor palette selector has been upgraded, and there's now a large set of custom palettes you can choose from. Play around in a cinematic palette, or turn up the swing on the auto-accompaniment and plunk around in the Jazz palette. Write something with a Motown feel, or explore the new power chord types in the Rock palette. Opens up a ton of new areas to play in. # MIDI # Much clearer selection of MIDI destinations. Choose virtual MIDI to play synths on the same device, or physical for low-latency USBC MIDI to your computer. But maybe the coolest new feature is the ability to split your chords into multiple MIDI channels, so you can control a whole quartet in DAWs like Logic Pro, from the press of a single button. # Projects and Song Export # Polychord now has a full project window, where you can rename, duplicate, and keep track of all the recording takes. And when you're ready to share, the process is way more native and familiar – bounce a performance and a system share sheet will let you AirDrop or save your song directly to Files. # More to explore # We've tightened up a ton of details. The BPM selector is way more intuitive, and even lets you tap a tempo. Unobvious controls have been improved for clarity, while keeping the design intact. The internal synth and sequencer have been hardened, timing improved, bugs squashed. # Deprecations (Important) # In this version we say farewell to AudioBus and SoundCloud APIs. So long and thanks for everything, and on to the next chapter of iOS music making. We're also saying goodbye to the alternate color scheme. Overall we aimed for this release to be about preserving what everyone loves about Polychord, while building a foundation for the future, fixing bugs, making improvements, and adding features that users will love. It's not a ground-up rewrite, not a remodel – it's a restoration. We hope you love it. (And please remember to rate & review!) ### 2.9.3 — 2017-09-19 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. 64 Bit Support Fixes Crash when trying to open songs and palettes ### 2.9.2 — 2014-08-20 Audiobus 2 support! Improved stability. Fixes multi-touch related crash. ## Apps similar to Polychord | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Intervals and Chords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/intervals-and-chords/id6447244430) | 4.8 (10) | $5.99 | Music | | [Clavinet](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clavinet/id6738863751) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Music | | [Piano Chords and Scales](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-chords-and-scales/id714086944) | 4.8 (9,136) | Free | Music | | [Chordable - MIDI Chords, Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordable-midi-chords-music/id6446233266) | 4.8 (98) | Free | Music | | [Harmony Hub Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harmony-hub-pro/id6463854682) | — | Free | Music | | [Ocarina Sim](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocarina-sim/id6739008948) | 3.7 (3) | Free | Music | ## More apps by Apposite - [SageBrush: AI Painter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sagebrush-ai-painter/id6472820126) - [Vibescape](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vibescape/id6476827678) - [Dial Guitar & Ukulele Tuner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dial-guitar-and-ukulele-tuner/id6758621276) - [Metaballs Mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metaballs-mobile/id6761600536) All apps by Apposite: https://appshunter.io/developer/481890610 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-14.*