Chords
A chord combines notes into one harmony. Start with major and minor triads, add sevenths, then compare suspended, sixth, diminished and extended structures. Each guide gives exact notes, a formula and a playable example from one root.
- start with triads
- identify third and seventh
- voice the notes last
related pages
Where should a beginner start?
Open What Is a Chord? if root, third and fifth are new terms.
Continue with Triads and compare major, minor, diminished and augmented structures.
Then read Chord Symbols so names such as Cm, C7 and Cmaj7 translate into notes.
How do symbols become playable voicings?
First identify the pitch collection. Then make separate decisions about bass, spacing and register.
Chord Inversions changes which chord tone is lowest. Chord Voicings changes order, spacing, doubling and omissions.
Slash Chords and Pedal Point specifies a bass note or holds one while harmony changes.
How do chords extend beyond the seventh?
Extensions and Alterations continues the stack to 9, 11 and 13 and explains flat or sharp tensions.
A practical voicing keeps the tones that define quality and function. The unaltered fifth or root can sometimes be omitted when another instrument supplies it.
Polychords organizes a large sonority as two familiar chord layers.
How should you learn chord types?
Keep one root and compare neighboring structures. Play C, Cm, C7 and Cmaj7 while naming the moving third or seventh.
Next, transpose each formula to F and A. Build the notes from scale degrees instead of memorizing one keyboard shape.
Finally, place every chord in a short progression. Function and voice leading become audible only when the chord has a before and after.
Complete concept path
What Is a Chord | Triads | Seventh Chords | Chord Symbols | Inversions | Voicings | Sus/Add/Power | Extensions | Slash Chords | Polychords
Triads
Start with three-note chord structures.
- Major Chord - root, major third and perfect fifth
- Minor Chord - root, minor third and perfect fifth
- Diminished Chord - minor third and diminished fifth above the root
- Augmented Chord - major third and augmented fifth above the root
Seventh chords
Add a fourth chord tone for more color and direction.
- Major Seventh Chord - a major triad with a major seventh
- Dominant Seventh Chord - a major triad with a minor seventh
- Minor Seventh Chord - a minor triad with a minor seventh
- Half-Diminished Seventh Chord - a diminished triad with a minor seventh
- Diminished Seventh Chord - a diminished triad with a diminished seventh
- Minor-Major Seventh Chord - a minor triad with a major seventh
Sixths, suspended and power chords
Change, add or omit the third to reshape the chord.
- Sixth Chord - a major triad with an added major sixth
- Minor Sixth Chord - a minor triad with an added major sixth
- Sus2 Chord - replace the third with the second
- Sus4 Chord - replace the third with the fourth
- 7sus4 Chord - add a minor seventh to a sus4 chord
- Power Chord - use root and fifth without a third
The four triad types
Common seventh chords
Suspended and power chords
Sixth chords
How chords are organized and played
Read symbols, arrange chord tones and expand the basic structures.
Also in this section
Keep going
The other sections
Everything on this site sits in one of these, in the order they are meant to be learned.