First, understand that chord nomenclature is a colloquialism of modern music, and there are occasional variances on how people use the symbols. I used the common forms below, which are a mixture of common pop music (such as the half-diminished) and jazz influenced (such as minor major 7th) chord symbols. You will doubtless find people using the + symbol occasionally to mean “add” a specific note to a chord form (rather than augmented which is the more common form), and various other such renderings. In fact, the + is also sometimes used as a way to “sharp” a note in some circles. That said, I tend to revert to letters, instead of using symbols where possible, to avoid such confusion. Meaning, I would use C7aug rather than C7+ simply to avoid misunderstanding in some circles. Then again, if everyone simply used my chart below, there would be not confusion at all :). So there you go then- use this as gospel chord notation.
The use of “b” in this table symbolizes flat, and applies to the note that follows it in a chord form, or the chord name that proceeds it when contexted to the chord itself. The use of the “#” symbol indicates a sharp.
General chord theory has some “essentials” to remember:
Form | Symbol | Alternate | 2nd Alt | Example | Example 2 | Notes | |
Major | Δ | M | maj | C | Cmaj | 1 3 5 | |
Minor | – | m | min | Cm | C- | 1 b3 5 | |
Suspended | sus | sus4 | Csus | Csus4 | 1 4 5 | ||
2nd * | sus2 | sus9 | 2 | Csus2 | C2 | 1 2 5 | |
7 ** | 7 | dom7 | C7 | Cdom7 | 1 3 5 b7 | ||
Minor 7 | -7 | m7 | min7 | Cm7 | C-7 | 1 b3 5 b7 | |
Major 7 | Δ7 | M7 | maj7 | CΔ7 | Cmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | |
Diminished *** | ° | dim | dim7 | Cdim | C° | 1 b3 b5 bb7 or 1 b3 b5 6 | |
Half Diminished | ø | m7-5 | m7(b5) | Cø | Cmin7(b5) | 1 b3 b5 b7 | |
Augmented | + | aug | +5 | C+ | Caug | 1 3 #5 | |
Augmented 7 | 7+ | aug7 | C7+ | 1 3 #5 b7 | |||
Sixth | 6 | C6 | 1 3 5 6 | ||||
Ninth | 9 | C9 | 1 3 5 b7 9 | ||||
Minor 9th | m9 | min9 | Cm9 | Cmin9 | 1 b3 5 b7 9 | ||
Major 9th | M9 | maj9 | Cmaj9 | CM9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | ||
Diminished 9th | dim9 | Cdim9 | 1 3 5 b7 b9 | ||||
Added 9 | add9 | (9) | Cadd9 | C(9) | 1 3 5 9 | ||
Fifth | 5 | (no 3rd) | (no 3) | C5 | C(no 3) | 1 5 | |
Eleventh | 11 | C11 | 1 3 5 b7 9 11 | ||||
Minor major 7th | m M7 | mΔ7 | m maj7 | CmM7 | C-Δ7 | 1 b3 5 7 |
Notes:
Alternate Bass Chords
Sometimes called “slash chords”, these are chords that follow all the same conventions as listed above, except that they add a single low note as the “bass” note in the chord. This simply means that in a chord such as “X/Y”, that this is an “X chord with a Y in the bass”. For example, you might see:
C/E
-This would simply be a C chord with an E note played in the bass. In this case you would play the regular C major chord and add the E note below the low C of your regular major C chord.
It does NOT give the option to play either C or E!
Figuring out chord names
Occasionally, you may find that you play a chord, but don’t know how to name it. If you play guitar, there is a nice applet installed on my website here that can help you figure out the name of that chord.
http://www.kimgentes.com/worshiptech-web-tools-page/2008/3/28/guitar-chords-finder.html
* also called suspended 2nd
** also called dominant 7th
*** also called diminished 7th
Kim Gentes blogs at http://www.kimgentes.com
(c)Copyright 2009 Kim Anthony Gentes