# The Chord Wheel — user reviews > 94 indexed App Store user reviews of The Chord Wheel by Chord Wheel, rated 4.00/5 from 15 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chord-wheel/id444931977/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chord-wheel/id444931977.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 9 · 4★ 3 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 3 ## What do users think of The Chord Wheel? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Simple and quick - 👍 Great for beginners - 👍 Helpful for writing progressions - 👍 Piano sounds are good - 👍 Clear interface - 👍 Useful for transposing - 👍 Great chord wheel concept - 👍 Good for understanding music - 👍 Works on iPhone and iPad - 👍 Sound inclusion is useful - 👍 Great tool for songwriters **Cons** - 👎 Old app, not updated - 👎 Expensive for value - 👎 Guitar chords out of tune - 👎 Screen too small on iPad - 👎 Stuck in portrait mode - 👎 Limited instrument options - 👎 Upside down on iPad - 👎 C chord strummed too slow - 👎 Chord numberings not visible on iPad - 👎 No full screen on iPad - 👎 Expensive for limited features - 👎 Sound issues reported - 👎 App crashes - 👎 No longer works with newer iOS - 👎 Poor customer support - 👎 Overpriced - 👎 Not intuitive **Commonly reported bugs** - Guitar chords out of tune - Diminished 7ths wrong on guitar - C chord strummed too slow - Chord numberings not visible on iPad - Screen not full screen on iPad - App stuck in portrait mode - Sound issues (touchy, no sound, pops/clicks) - App crashes on launch - App doesn't work with newer iOS versions - App exits immediately - App won't open after iOS update - Upside down on iPad - Latency in chord playing **Most requested features** - Toggle chords to 7th, 6th, sus4, etc. - Add note on keyboard - Adjust screen orientation - Change instruments - Enlarge screen on iPad - Add modes - Add note numbers in scale - Enable rotate to portrait mode - Font resizing for explanation - Toggle sound option - Zoom into key signature - Export MIDI files - Show minor scales - Show scales when tapping - Play two keys at once - Highlight notes when chord pressed - Add MIDI output - More voicings and instrument sounds ## Newest reviews (12 of 94) ### 4/5 — Nice but a few bum guitar chords *2021-05-20* The wheel is a helpful layout for writing simple major/minor progressions. Piano sounds are bold and in tune, and sustain for two good legato whole notes while you consider the next chord. However, some of the guitar chords are well out of tune, and one or two of the diminished 7ths are downright wrong on guitar. But the majority are OK. I stick with the piano. This would be excellent tool if there was a simple way to toggle any chord to and from its 7th, 6th, sus4, or 2nd/9th — or maybe add the note on the keyboard (which in inactive and purely decorative). But overall the wheel is a nice idea for establishing harmonic context. ### 4/5 — Screen too small on iPad *2021-05-15* This is an excellent app. It even plays the chords when you tap on them. Unfortunately on iPad the image is small and, for those of us with poor sight, is difficult to read. Enlarging the screen on iPad would make this a killer app. ### 4/5 — Pretty Good Chord Wheel App *2020-05-20* This app is pretty good. It is rather expensive for what you get though, and it is always upside down on my iPad. Also, there is something wrong with the C chord, as it is strummed too slow on the guitar. I also have The Chord Wheel as a printed book, and there is more of an explanation of its use in the printed book, however, the book has no sound. The sound inclusion in the app makes it more useful, and it is less than half the price of the book, and I can use it on my iPod, iPad mini, or iPad Pro. So, all in all, it’s pretty good, but there is room for improvement. ### 3/5 — Chord numberings not visible on the iPad app *2019-05-05* Please help ### 2/5 — Not great *2019-03-11* Would be good to have more features, this is literally just the chord wheel. The app doesn’t display full screen properly on iPad ### 4/5 — Awesome, but... *2018-02-21* This is a great and simple-to-use app. My only complaints are the lack of a proper options page, e.g. font resizing for the explanation of the chord wheel, toggling the sound, etc. No complaints otherwise. The chord wheel itself is fantastic. ### 4/5 — Please Enable Rotate to Portrait Mode *2017-10-17* I bought the book and will find the app useful as well. I’m happy that the issue with the sound has been fixed but would like to be able to use the app in portrait mode. Landscape feels clunky and using the app in portrait wouldn’t mean the wheel is obstructed in any way. It’s just a circle. But the device you’re using would be more comfortable in hand. ### 2/5 — No Sound! *2017-02-05* I just paid $9.99NZD which is expensive for an iPhone app that has a bug in it. This should have been better tested. Can't fault the visuals and the rotating feature of the circle of 5ths but there is no sound when you tap the chords. I'm on iPhone 6s Plus iOS 10.2.1. Please fix this bug. I need to hear the chords please. ### 3/5 — Great reference tool. Sound is touchy *2016-10-03* The chord wheel concept is an invaluable reference for composing. The app currently does everything the paper version will do for half the cost. Unfortunately, the extra sound function, which would be really cool, only works if you just barely touch the screen. I mean like barely touch it, almost so that you don't feel the screen. If you tap as you would the keyboard on your phone it will never play. This makes it impractical to use so it may just as well not work as other users have said. It would be an awesome feature to be able to find the key and chords for a song idea just by tapping your phone. Like have a piano or acoustic guitar in your pocket. Please fix the sound guys, if the sound worked right, i'd pay double. ### 2/5 — No Sound - but still useful for transposition *2016-07-07* I loved this app when I first got it. But now The sound does not work on my iPhone 6, and it appears the app and the website are no longer being updated. But the wheel still turns, so it's still useful for transposition and, to a lesser extent composing. You just can't use it to listen to chord combinations. It's kind of like the app has been reduced to an iBook. ### 2/5 — Ugly and disappointingo *2016-05-14, version 1.1* I have the book in front of me. I paid $7.39 for it on Amazon, including shipping. This app is not the book. The menu is crude, the tutorial is far more brief than the book and none of the images are scaled for my ipad air2 resolution, resulting in very pixelated background and menus. The menu icons are ever present and there's some silly option for a zoom 1x or 2x which doesn't zoom at all - but zooms out to an even smaller resolution. The options don't save and the sound clips for many of the chords have pops and clicks. I would not recommend this app to anyone who is unfamiliar with the book. This was a simple thing, shame it got botched. ### 2/5 — Sound not working *2016-02-16* The app's sound function is not working on my iPhone 6s. I contacted the developer about a week ago regarding this issue and have not heard back from them. This simple app cost $10, you could at least expect some tech support. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Can’t believe Apple hasn’t removed. Waste! *2021-12-15* thought I’d buy the app instead of replacing the paperback. Don’t make same mistake. App is 4 years old and the pics aren’t even from the actual app. Waste of 6 bucks. ### 1/5 — Could be a lot better. *2021-02-08* The app needs a lot more development to be worth the money. You can't adjust basic things like the screen orientation that s permanently stuck on portrait mode. Also would be nice to be able to change instruments instead of only having piano and guitar. If you're looking for something more useful for reference, writing and practicing I'd say but the Tonaly app. ### 1/5 — Esta aplicación no sirve *2020-09-07, version 1.1.22* Esta aplicación esta muy simple no da la opción de más instrumentos se supone que debería darla por lo que dice estoy i conforme y trate de regresarla y no te da la opción ahora tengo que tenerla y no la quiero esta apliciom apesta ! ### 1/5 — Con *2016-08-11* Rip off ### 1/5 — No sound *2016-07-27* Bought the app this morning and so far have not been able to get any sound from it. Have gone through the tutorial but still cannot get a sound, not happy ### 1/5 — Like the app. Problems with iOS 8 *2016-07-04* The app's audio quit working upon updating to iOS 8. An update to fix this issue would be great. A year later and now on iOS 9.3.2 and an iPhone 6s+ as well as an iPad mini 2 it still does not work and no updates. I used to enjoy this app for trying out chord changes. Come on guys, it should be a minor thing to fix. Other apps can play audio... ### 1/5 — HORRIBLE! Does ***NOT WORK***!!! *2016-02-21* Well, I'll be the first to say that this is "seemingly" a perfect tool for what it describes to do, HOWEVER, why put something out on the market for SALE and collect people's money for an application that is incompatible or useless ? I would love to get a refund for this, but even after reaching out to the developers, there is unfortunately a lack of product support. Perhaps they have some ironing to do with the coding or programming left to do, who knows. But my advice, save your money and DO NOT BUY this useless application. One star because the idea was nice, but I guess if you'd buy a pretty car with a non-functional engine with the intent to travel--- good luck, God speed! Hopefully they care enough about their customers to address this ongoing issue. ### 1/5 — No sound on 6s. PLEASE FIX! *2016-02-11, version 1.1* This is a $7 dollar app and a total waste of my money if the sound doesn't work. I will certainly come back and enter a 5 star review if fixed, as I am sure I will use it religiously. I already bought the book and use it all of the time. Thanks guys. Please fix asap. ### 1/5 — The update doesn't work *2016-01-27, version 1.1* The new update doesn't work. After i updated the app it wont work i press the chords in the wheel chord and theres no sound ### 1/5 — Will not work after updates *2016-01-26* One of my favorite chord apps that unfortunately will not work with the updated software on your iPad or iPhone. It crashes immediately. I'm very disappointed that there has not been an update. I have the printed copy and use it all the time and was really looking forward to having it on my electronic devices ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great app - Simple and quick *2021-11-02* Love this app. It’s a very simple and quick way for someone who is not very clued up on music theory. Great for just figuring out what chords belong to what key. I use it all the time as a beginner musician. It’s works great on both IPhone and IPad. I am not sure what others are saying about the screen to small for iPad. You just click the bottom right corner to bring it to full screen. ### 5/5 — Works on my iPhone 6s+ *2020-01-27* Looks like the developers fixed the issue some users were having. The app works fine on my iPhone 6s+. Great tool overall. ### 5/5 — Clear easy to use interface. *2019-05-25* Chord information distilled into a simple to use graphical format. ### 5/5 — Great chord wheel *2019-03-31, version 1.1.22* I love this and it’s helped me write creative chord progressions. Recommended for all musicians and songwriters. Would be nice if you could add the modes like that dial a note circle of fifths turn thingy on amazon. ### 5/5 — Great app *2018-07-20* Neat training aid that helps me transpose songs on the go. Handy to have as an app. Save me tremendous time transposing songs for band. ### 5/5 — Great app *2017-12-09* I'm so excited to see this app! For years I thought it should be easy to make an intuitive chord wheel app but couldn't find one that was easy to use and display all of the info I was looking for. The only thing it's missing is the note numbers in the scale. A lot of chord wheels online show a small Roman numeral to represent the chord number under the letter. That addition would make this a 5 star app. Edit: Go through the tutorial. You can zoom into the key signature ### 5/5 — Wheely Good *2017-12-02* After getting to grips with the chord wheel I am now writing chart topping hits for Ned Sheeran, Duo Lipo, Traynor Swift and Leeds based indie pop sensation Defender. I’m a pretty big deal ### 5/5 — fantastic tool!! *2017-06-22* thank you for this great app ### 5/5 — Thank you *2017-02-17* I love trying out different progressions. Thanks for including secondary dominant. Really great app to understand music. ### 5/5 — Works great. *2016-04-02* Great tool for songwriters and producers. I had the book for years and this is a million times better. Not sure what all the moaning is about from the other reviewers. --- *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 2026-09-13.*