Reading chord symbols

The parts of a symbol

Root

C, D, E … with ♯ or ♭: F♯, B♭. On lead sheets often F# and Bb.

Quality

nothing = major · m, -, min = minor · dim, ° = diminished · aug, + = augmented · sus = suspended

Number

6, 7, 9, 11, 13: the highest note of the stack of thirds. 7 alone means the minor seventh, maj7 (Δ) the major.

Addition

add9 adds a note · b5, #5, b9, #9, #11 alter one · omit3 leaves one out

Bass note

C/E: the note after the slash is in the bass — an inversion or a foreign bass.

All spellings

Triads

• Calso Cmaj · CM1 3 5 · C E GJust the letter: major. Root, major third, fifth.
• Cmalso C- · Cmin1 ♭3 5 · C Eb GSmall m: minor. The third is minor — a semitone lower than in major.
• Cdimalso C°1 ♭3 ♭5 · C Eb GbDiminished: minor third and diminished fifth. Tense, wants to move on.
• Caugalso C+ · C♯51 3 ♯5 · C E G#Augmented: major third and augmented fifth. Floating, restless.
• Csus4also Csus1 4 5 · C F GSuspension: the fourth replaces the third and wants to resolve to it. »sus« alone means sus4.
• Csus21 2 5 · C D GThe second instead of the third. Open, neither major nor minor.

Seventh and sixth chords

• C7also Cdom71 3 5 ♭7 · C E G BbThe 7 alone always means: minor seventh on a major triad — the dominant seventh, pulling to the tonic a fifth below.
• Cmaj7also CΔ · CM7 · Cj71 3 5 7 · C E G Bmaj7: major seventh. Soft, jazzy; the triangle Δ means the same.
• Cm7also C-7 · Cmin71 ♭3 5 ♭7 · C Eb G BbMinor with a minor seventh. The chord of the second degree in jazz (ii–V–I).
• C61 3 5 6 · C E G AMajor with a sixth instead of a seventh. A closing chord in swing.
• Cm61 ♭3 5 6 · C Eb G AMinor with a major sixth — the Dorian sound.
• Cm7b5also Cø · Cø71 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 · C Eb Gb BbHalf-diminished: minor seventh chord with a diminished fifth. The second degree in minor (ii–V–i).
• Cdim7also C°71 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 · C Eb Gb BbbDiminished with a diminished seventh: four minor thirds stacked. Symmetrical — any of the four notes can be the root.
• C7sus4also C7sus1 4 5 ♭7 · C F G BbDominant seventh with a suspended fourth. Pop, gospel, often before the C7.

Extensions

• Cadd9also Cadd21 3 5 9 · C D E Gadd: one note added, no seventh. add9 and add2 are the same note an octave apart.
• C91 3 5 ♭7 9 · C D E G BbThe 9 includes the 7: dominant seventh plus ninth.
• Cm91 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 · C D Eb G BbMinor seventh chord plus ninth.
• Cmaj9also CΔ91 3 5 7 9 · C D E G BMajor seventh chord plus ninth.
• C111 5 ♭7 9 11 · C D F G BbUp to the eleventh; the third is usually left out because it clashes with the 11.
• C131 3 5 ♭7 9 13 · C D E G A BbThe full dominant chord with thirteenth — in practice a selection is played, usually 1 3 ♭7 13.

What else appears on lead sheets

• C/E1 3 5 · Bass 3Slash: the chord before the slash, the note after it in the bass. C/E is C major with E in the bass — the first inversion. C/G has G in the bass, the second.
• C51 5Power chord: only root and fifth, no third — neither major nor minor. Rock, punk, metal.
• C7♭9, C7♯91 3 5 ♭7 ♭9 / ♯9Altered notes carry ♭ or ♯ before the number: ♭9 means a lowered ninth. Jazz dominants.
• N.C.—No chord: the accompaniment stops here.