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Chord Symbols - Part I Cheat Sheet by

A quick look at a combination of Jazz theory, and original theory to completely document chord symbols (Part I). (UPDATED 08/30/32)

Omit

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H)
C7sus4 (omit5) or (No5)
C7
sus4 (omit5)
, C7
sus4 (no5)
C, E, F, B♭

Triads (Using C as the Chord root)

Chord:
Writing:
Major:
C, CM, CMaj, C∆
Minor:
c, Cm, Cmin, C-
Diminished:
C
dim
, Co, Cm(♭5), C-(♭5)
Augmented:
C
aug
, C+, C(#5)
Major ♭5
CM♭5, C♭5

Seventh Chords (Using C as the chord root)

Chord:
Writing:
Dominant:
C7
Dominant Flat 5
C7(♭5)
Dominant Sus 2/ Sus 4
C7sus2, C7sus4
Dominant Seven/Six
C7/6
Major:
Cmaj7, C∆7, C∆
Major Seventh Flat Five:
CM7(♭5)
Major sus 2/ Sus 4
CM7sus2, CM7sus4
Minor:
Cm7, Cmin7, C-7
Minor Major:
CmM7, CminMaj7, C-M7
Minor Seven/Six
Cm7/6
Minor Major Seventh Sharp 5
CmM7(♯5), CminM7(♯5)
Augmented:
C
aug
7, C+7, C7♯5
Augmented Major Seventh
CM7(♯5), C
aug
M7, C+M7, C+∆7
Half-Diminished:
Cø, Cø7, Cm7(♭5) , C-7(♭5)
Diminished:
Co7, C
dim
7
Diminished Major Seventh:
CoM7

Upper Chord Extensions (9,11,­13)

When editing Upper chord extens­ions, unless it says (add), we stack up to the chord. C9 would be: C, E, G, Bb, D, with D being the ninth. When it says (add) or has an (add) symbol, we use the root chord and add the note notated on top. All of these are based on a Dominant 7th chord. If we wanted a Major 7th we would notate that and the added note.

9ths

Chord
Chord Symbol
Notes in Chord (L-H)
9ths:
C9
C, E, G, B♭, D
Major Ninth
CM9, CMaj9
C, E, G, B, D
Minor Ninth
Cm9, Cmin9
C, E♭, G, B♭, D
Minor-Major Ninth
CmM9, CminMaj9
C E♭, G, B, D
Minor Seventh Flat 9
Cm7(♭9), Cmin7(♭9)
C, E♭, G, B♭, D♭
Major Seventh Flat 9
CM7(♭9)
C, E, G, B, D♭
Major Seventh Sharp 9
CM7(♯9)
C, E, G, B, D♯
Dominant Seventh Sharp 9
C7(♯9)
C, E, G, B♭, D♯
Dominant Seventh Flat 9
C7(♭9)
C, E, G, B♭, D♭
Minor-Major Seventh Flat 9
CmM7(♭9)
C, E♭, G, B, D♭
Dominant Ninth Flat 5
C9(♭5)
C, E, G♭, B♭, D
Major Ninth Flat 5
CM9(♭5)
C, E, G♭, B, D
Diminished Ninth
Co9, C
dim
9
C, E♭, G♭, (𝄫7)A, D
Half-Diminished Ninth
Cø9, Cmin9(♭5)
C, E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭
Augmented Dominant Ninth
C9(♯5)
C, E, G♯, B♭, D
Augmented Major Ninth
CM9(♯5)
C, E, G♯, B, D

Upper Chord Extensions 11

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H)
11ths
C11
C, E, (G), B ♭, (D), F
Major Eleventh
CM11, CMaj11
C, E, (G), B, (D), F
Minor Eleventh
Cm11, Cminaj11, C-11
C, E♭, (G), B ♭, (D), F
Minor Major Eleventh
CmM11, CminMaj11
C, E♭, (G), B , (D), F
Lydian Dominant
C7(♯11), C♯11
C, E, (G), B♭, (D), F♯
Major Seventh Sharp 11
CM7(♯11), C∆7(♯11)
C, E, (G), B, (D), F♯
Minor Ninth Sharp 11
Cm9(♯11)
C, E♭, (G), B♭, (D), F♯
Dominant Eleventh Flat 5
C11(♭5)
C, E, G♭, B♭, (D), F
Dimibished Eleventh
Co11, C
dim
11
C, E♭, G♭, B, (D), F
Half-Diminished eleventh
Cø11, Cmin11(♭5)
C, E♭, G♭, B♭, (D), F
Augmented Major Eleventh
CM11(♯5)
C, E, G♯, B, (D), F
Augmented Dominant Eleventh
C
aug
11, C11(♯5)
C, E, G♯, B♭, (D), F
Major Eleventh Flat 9
CM11(♭9)
C, E, (G), B, D♭, F
Minor Eleventh Flat 9
Cm11(♭9)
C, E♭, (G), B♭, D♭, F
Dominant Eleven Flat 9
C11(♭9)
C, E, (G), B♭, D♭, F
Diminished Eleventh Flat 9
Co11(♭9), C
dim
o11(♭9)
C, E♭, G♭, (𝄫7) A, D♭, F
Dominant Seventh Flat 9 Sharp 11
C7(♭9♯11)
C, E, (G), B ♭, D ♭, F ♯
Dominant Seventh Sharp 9 Sharp 11
C7(♯9♯11)
C, E, (G), B ♭, D ♯, F ♯
Minor Major Ninth Sharp 11
CmM9(♯11)
C, E♭, (G), B, (D), F ♯
Major Eleventh Flat 5
CM11(♭5)
C, E, G♭, B, (D), F
Notes in parent­hesis can be omitted.

Susp­ended Chords

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H)
Sus/Sus4
Csus, Csus4
C, F, G
Sus2
Csus2
C, D, G

Upper Chord Altera­tions, (#,♭)

These apply to the note that is either sharpened or flattened. Note that altera­tions go AFTER the ENTIRE chord is built.

Upper Chord Altera­tions

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H)
7(#9)
C7(#9)
C, E, G, B♭, D#
11(♭13)
C11(♭13)
C, E, G, B♭, D, F, A♭
9#11♭13
C9(#11♭13)
C, E, G, B♭, D, F#, A♭

Power/6th Chords:

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H):
Root and 5th
C5
C, G
6ths:
C6, CM6, CMaj6
C, E, G, A
Minor 6th:
Cmin6, CmM6
C ,E♭, G, A
Minor chord plus Minor 6th:
Cm(-)(♭6), Cm(-)(add♭6), Cm(-)(+♭6)
C ,E♭, G, A♭
C Major Sixth Flat 5
CM6(♭5)
C, E, G♭, A
Add 6th and 9th
C6/
9
, C(add(+­)6/­add­(+)9)
C, E, G, A, D
Minor 6/
9
C
mi
6/
9
, C-6/
9
C, E♭, G, A, D
A note for 6th chords: When something is m6, the chord itself is minor, NOT the 6th interval. When we want a minor chord plus a minor 6th, we put the flat 6 in parent­hesis.

Altered Chords:

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H)
Altered
C
alt
C, E, G♭/♯, B♭, OR, C, G, G♭/♯, B♭, D♭/♯
An altered chord is a variety of chords that can be created with either a flat or sharpened 5th and 9th, built on a dominant 7th chord.

Slash/­Inv­erted Triad Chords:

Chord:
Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H):
How to find the Key Root
3rd On top:
C/E, C6
E, G, C
5th above chord root.
5th On top:
C/G, C6
4
G, C, E
4th above chord root.
DO NOT write a fraction symbol.

Slash/­Inv­erted Seventh Chords:

Chord
Writing:
Chord Structure:
How to find the key root:
3rd on top:
C7/E, C6
5
E, G, B♭, C
6th above the chordal root.
5th on top:
C7/G, C4
3
G, B♭, C, E
4th above the chordal root.
7th on top:
C7/B♭, C4
2
B♭, C, E, G
2nd above the chordal root.
Note the inversion symbols are different. Note that unless specified, all inversions are based off of the Dominant 7th chord. So in C, that means the B will be flat. The key root is not the same as the chordal root.

Neopolitan Chord:

Writing:
Chord Structure (L-H):
N6, ♭II6, ♭II6
In C: F, A♭, D♭,
The Neopolitan Chord is built upon the flattened 2nd degree of any scale. So in B♭, that would be C♭. In C, it would be D♭. It has a Pre-Do­minant harmonic function, and is voiced as follows:

In C, take the 2nd, (D), lower it a half step (D♭). Take the D♭, and make a major D♭ triad, (D♭, F, A♭). Use first inversion (Known as N6) and you're done!
       
 

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  • Published: 28th August, 2022
  • Last Updated: 31st August, 2023

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