Chord Directory - 1 m.mermikides@surrey.ac.

uk

(Almost) all the chord symbols you'll ever need.

There'll always be more but all 'standard' chords should be derivable from these...

1-note

C pedal [R]

& w

2-note
C5 [R, 5] C(b5) [R,♭5]

& w
w bw
w

3-note (triads)

C [R, 3, 5] C‹ [R, ♭3, 5] C& [R, 3, ♯5] Cº [R, ♭3, ♭5]

& w
w bw
w #w
w bbw
w
w (major, maj)
w (minor, min, -)
w (aug, #5)
w (diminished, dim)

3-note (sus chords)

C(“4) [R, 4, 5] C(“2) [R, 2, 5]

& w
ww (sus) w
ww

4-note (7th chords)

CŒ„Š7 C7 C‹7 C‹7(b5) Cº7
[R, 3, 5, 7] [R, 3, 5, ♭7] [R, ♭3, 5, ♭7] [R, ♭3, ♭5, 7] [R, ♭3, ♭5, ♭♭7]

& w
w
w bw
w
w bbw
w
w bbbw
w
w bb∫w
w
w
w w w w w

C‹(Œ„Š7) [R, b3, 5, 7] CŒ„Š7(b5) [R, 3, ♭5, 7] CŒ„Š7(#5) [R, 3, #5, 7] C7(b5) [R, 3, ♭5, ♭7] C7(#5) [R, 3, #5, ♭7]

& bw
w
w
w bw
w
w
w #w
w
w
w bbw
w
w
w #bw
w
w
w
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Chord Directory - 2
m.mermikides@surrey.ac.uk

4-note (6th chords)

C6 C‹6 C(b6) C‹(b6)

[R, 3, 5, 6] [R, ♭3, 5, 6] [R, 3, 5, ♭6] [R, ♭3, 5, ♭6]

& w
ww bw
ww bw
ww bbw
ww
w w w w

4-note (add and sus chords)

C(„ˆˆ9) C‹(„ˆˆ9) C7(“4)

[R, 3, 5, 9] [R, ♭3, 5, 9] [R, 4, 5, ♭7]

& w bw bw
w
ww w
ww ww
w

5-note (9th chords)

CŒ„Š9 [R, 3, 5, 7, 9] C‹9 [R, ♭3, 5, 7, 9] C9 [R, 3, 5, ♭7, 9]

w
w bw
w bw
w
& w
w
w bw
w
w w
w
w

C7(b9) [R, 3, 5, ♭7, ♭9] C7(#9) [R, 3, 5, ♭7, #9] C(“9) [R, 4, 5, ♭7, 9] C(“4b9) [R, 4, 5, ♭7, ♭9]

& bbw
w
w
w b#w
w
w
w bw
w
ww bbw
w
ww
w w w w

C% [R, 3, 5, 6, 9] C‹% [R, ♭3, 5, 6, 9]

ww ww
& w
w
w bw
w
w
 3
6-note (11th chords)
Technically 11th chords include a root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th.
But '11' is also used to mean a 7th chord with an added 11th and no 9th (sometimes called 7add11) -
In addition, C11 is sometimes used as an (incorrect) shorthand for C9sus (R, 4, 5, ♭7, 9, ♭11) which has no 3rd.
So the 'rare' 3rds ar bracketed below.
The only common 'real' 11 chord is a min11 chord. #11 chords, however are often found.
C9(“4)
CŒ„Š11 C11 C‹11 C‹11(b5) Csus11
[R, (3), 5, 7, 9, 11] [R, (3), 5, ♭7, 9, 11] [R, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, 11] [R, ♭3, ♭5, ♭7, (9), 11] [R, (4), 5, ♭7, 9, 11]
w
w w w w w
bw w w bw
(a 5-note chord)
& w
w w
w bw
b w bbbw
w w
w
w w
w w
w w
w ww
w

CŒ„Š7(#11) C7(#11) C‹7(#11) C‹(Œ„Š7#11)

[R, 3, 5, 7, 9, #11] [R, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9, #11] [R, ♭3, 5, 7, 9, #11]
#w b#w bb#w #w
[R, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, #11]

& w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w bw
w
w
w
w w w w
The most common the above are Cm11, Csus11, Cmaj7(#11) and C7(#11) The latter two are often played without 5ths

7-note (13th chords)

13th chords technically contain root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th (all 7 notes).
However the 11th, unless on a min13 chord is very rarely intended, the 9th often (but not always) is,
and unless indicated otherwise, as a natural 9th (D on a C13).
Often a 13th chord just implies root, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 13th (ie C7add13) unless other degrees are stated (eg. C7(b9/13).
Some but not all 13th chords are listed below, although you should be able to derive most from those below.

CŒ„Š13 CŒ„Š13(#11) C13 C13(#11)

w #w w w
[R, 3, 5, 7, 9, (11), 13][R, 3, 5, 7, 9, #11, 13] [R, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, (11), 13][R, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, #11, 13]
w
w w
w bw
w b#w
w
& w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
C13(#9) C7[áÆ] C9(b13) C7[äÆ]
C13(b9)
[R, 3, 5, ♭7, ♭9, (11), 13] [R, 3, 5, ♭7, 9, (11), ♭13]
[R, 3, 5, ♭7, ♭9, (11), 13] [R, 3, 5, ♭7, ♭9, (11), ♭13] [R, 3, 5, ♭7, #9, (11), ♭13]
w
w w bw bw bw
&bw
b w
w
w bw
#w
w
w
w bbw
w
w
w
w bw
w
w
w
w b#w
w
w
w
w
w w w w w
7-note (Altered)
[R, 3, ♭5, ♭7, ♭9, #9, ♭13]

bbw
C7½
# ww
&b b w
An altered dominant (alt.) chord includes a root, 3rd and ♭7 and
w
w
w
any number (or all) extensions from an altered scale.
(ie. ♭9,#9, #11/♭5, ♭13)