- A beginner’s guide to all types of chords for music producers
- Learn about triads, major, minor, and seventh chords
- Unlock musical harmony with extended and altered chords
- Also, check out this article on advanced chords for guitar players
We’ve created this comprehensive guide to different types of chords to help you develop a deep understanding of music harmony.
We’ve systematically arranged all the basic chords, explaining what they are, how they are notated, and a few ways to use them.
By the end of this journey, we’re confident that you’ll understand what goes into building basic chords, the triads in Western diatonic harmony, and all the commonly used 4-note chords, including rootless chords, shell voicings, added tone chords, and altered variations.
What Is A Chord?
In music, the term “chord” refers to a combination of two or more distinct notes (pitches) sounded simultaneously.
Triads (3-note chords) are the most basic form of chords in tonal music, and there are eight different triads in Western diatonic harmony (music with a central note).
Some examples of basic chords in music include major chords, minor chords, and seventh chords.
All chords have a root note – the note a chord is built on that gives it a name and builds its relationship with other notes in that chord.
For instance, a D chord is built off of a D note, which is the root of the chord. Likewise, a Cmin7 or Cadd9 is built off of a C note, and so on.
At first, there was a single note – C – our go-to root note for the rest of this article.
Now, if you add a fifth to the root note, and you get your first type of chord – a power chord.
So, playing the C and G notes (root and perfect fifth) simultaneously gives you a C5 chord. It’s the only two-note chord in music, and ‘power chord’ is an informal term, not a theoretical name.
💡Important! All types of chords have at least three or more notes derived from a particular scale, played simultaneously. Three is an important number because three notes bring out the underlying harmony of a scale. But before we proceed further, let’s understand the key concept of ‘chord quality.’
What Does ‘Chord Quality’ Mean In Music?
You have heard of major and minor chords, right? In music, major and minor are descriptions of a chord’s quality.
There are four chord qualities: major, minor, diminished, and augmented, although suspended or dominant chords can also be considered a chord quality.
Simply put, chord quality describes the ‘flavor’ of a chord, and theoretically, chord qualities are ascertained by the intervals of notes in each type of chord.
Secondly, every chord quality has a symbol you must remember, which is useful for writing chord progressions to communicate with other musicians.
The image below displays the four chord qualities and their symbols:
Here are the seven chord qualities and how they are denoted:
- Major – denoted by the standard M, Δ, or maj. i.e. CM6, Cmaj7, C Δ
- Minor – denoted by the standard m, −, or min. i.e. B–7, Bm7, Bmin7.
- Augmented – denoted by + or ‘aug’. i.e. C+
- Diminished – denoted by o – Do
- Half-diminished – denoted by ø – i.e. Eø
- Dominant – denoted by dom or 7. i.e., F7 or Fdom
You don’t need to remember all the symbols for each quality. Any one of these will suffice. I will explain chord names, spellings, and chord qualities for all the types of chords in the next section.
All Types of Chords in Music Explained
Triads or Triadic Chords
In music, triads are a group of three notes – the root note, a third (major or minor) above the root, and a fifth (perfect, raised, or flat) above the root. The most basic spelling for a triad is 1-3-5 or R-3-5, which indicates it is a major triad.
Note: Adding tones to a root chord is called stacking, and we’ll use this term from here onward.
For now, we won’t go into detailed explanations of triadic chords as we’ve already covered them in an illustrated guide.
Here’s a quick recap of the four types of triads in music:
- Major triad: 1 – 3 – 5
- Minor triad – 1 – b3 – 5
- Diminished triad – 1 – b3 – b5
- Augmented triad – 1 – 3 – #5
Major Chords
A major chord is one of the basic chords in tonal music. Its chord consists of a root, a major third (M3), and a perfect fifth (P5), which are a part of the major scale notes.
In other words, it’s a root note with a major third and a minor third stacked above it. Moreover, a major chord is always a triad, although it can have notes doubled.
The major chord formula is 1-3-5, and with C as the root, a C major chord is spelled C-E-G. Secondly, major chords are notated with ‘no symbol’, ‘maj’, or ‘M.’
So, you can write a C major chord as C, Cmaj, or CM, although the most common way to write a C major chord is “C.”
This ‘happy-sounding chord’ is consonant and stable, meaning it sounds resolved or does not need resolution. Secondly, major chords can be played or voiced in inversions.
A chord becomes a chord inversion when any note from the chord other than the root is played in the bass.
In other words, a chord inversion means you play the same major scale notes but reposition the order, and it is not a different type of chord but just a different arrangement of the chord elements.
The first inversion of a chord has the third (M3) as the lowest note, meaning you take the root note and move it up an octave. So, C-E-G (C Major) becomes E-G-C – the first inversion.
Likewise, the second inversion of a chord has the fifth (P5) down in the bass. So, C-E-G becomes G-C-E – the second inversion of the C Major chord. It’s also important to note that a chord is still an inversion if other notes are doubled.
Minor Chords
The minor chord is also a basic building block in Western music. A minor chord consists of a root (R), a minor third (m3), and a perfect fifth (P5). This darker, more somber iteration of a major chord, is also considered to be (relatively) consonant and stable.
A minor chord is notated with a ‘-’, ‘m,’ or ‘min.’ You can write a C minor chord as C-, Cm, or Cmin. Again, a minor chord can have additional notes i.e., Cmin7. The chord is generally played as a minor triad using the three notes, doubled or otherwise.
Minor Chord Formula: 1 – b3 – 5
Like major chords, minor chords can also be voiced in inversions. A Cm chord with the minor third (m3) or perfect fifth (P5) as the bottom note will give you a first and second inversion, respectively.
For a Cmin, the 1st inversion is Eb-C-G, and the 2nd inversion would be G-C-Eb.
Diminished Chords
Diminished chords consist of a root (R), a minor third (m3), and a flattened fifth (b5). It’s notated with ‘dim,’ or a superscript circle, meaning a C diminished could be notated as Cdim or Co. Note that a half-diminished chord is written with a parsed circle symbol – “ø.”
Diminished Chords Formula: 1 – b3 –b5
Taking the example of Cdim (C-Eb-G), the interval between C to Eb and Eb to G is a minor third. Thus, a diminished triad stacks 2 minor thirds above the root.
Secondly, a diminished chord sounds unstable and tense due to the tritone interval (diminished fifth).
The diminished triad (in chord harmony) occurs on the seventh scale degree of a major scale and the second scale degree of a minor scale. For easy recall, think of a diminished triad as a minor triad with a flattened fifth.
It’s easy to demonstrate this in a piano roll.
For more info, check out our guide on how to build and use diminished chords for emotional impact.
Augmented Chords
Augmented chords consist of a root (R), a major third (M3), and a raised fifth (#5). It’s notated with a plus symbol (+) or ‘aug.’ For example, a C aug chord is communicated by C+ or Caug.
Augmented Chord Formula: 1 – 3 – #5
Taking the example of C+ (C-E-G#), you’ll notice the interval between C to E and E to G# are a major third. Therefore, an augmented triad stacks two major-thirds above the root. For easy recall, think of an augmented triad as a major triad with a raised fifth.
Sound-wise, augmented chords are known to be extremely unstable and dissonant. Even though augmented chords have a major third, they do not have a ‘major’ sound. In fact, augmented chords sound extremely unstable and dissonant.
We’ve explained the most basic augmented chord, which is also the augmented triad. However, there are 4-note chords, such as the augmented sixth chords, and others that contain the seventh, ninth, and so on.
You can learn about them in our guide to augmented chords.
Seventh Chords
So far, we’ve learned about the basic triad chords – major, minor, dim, and augmented. Now it’s time to approach the first family of four-note chords, called seventh chords.
These chords are the primary extensions of triad chords, meaning you add a seventh above the root to a triad.
So, major seventh chords are essentially a major triad (R, 3, 5) + a major 7th tone above the root. Similarly, minor seventh chords are a minor triad + a minor seventh tone above the root.
Here’s a list of the chord formula, abbreviations, and examples of all types of 7th chords:
|
Chord |
Written/Notated | Chord tones | Example (C) |
|
Major Seventh |
M7, maj7, or Δ |
1 + 3 + 5 + 7 |
C-E-G-B |
| Dominant 7th | 7 or dom7 | 1 + 3 + 5 + ♭7 |
C-E-G-B♭ |
|
Minor Seventh |
m7 or min7 |
1 + ♭3 + 5 + ♭7 |
C-E♭-G-B♭ |
|
Minor Major 7th | mM7 or –Δ7 | 1 + ♭3 + 5 + 7 |
C-E♭-G-B |
|
Half-diminished | m7b5 or ø | 1 + ♭3 + ♭5 + ♭7 |
C-E♭-G♭-B♭ |
|
Diminished 7th | °7 or dim7 | 1 + ♭3 + ♭5 + ♭♭7 |
C-E♭-G♭-B♭♭ |
|
Augmented 7th | +7 or aug7 | 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7 |
C-E-G♯-B♭ |
|
Suspended 7th | 7sus | 1, 2/4, 5, ♭7 |
C-D-G-♭ or C-F-G-B♭ |
Eight Types of 7th Chords:
Every musician should learn how to construct 7th chords (and identify them by ear) because they will be immensely useful when you want to add more depth and color to chord progressions.
By the way, if you want to hear some of these chords in a real context, our free Melody To Chords Generator is a fun way to do it. Try its ‘Colorful’ setting, which brings in sevenths and sus chords.
Here are the eight types of chords with chord spellings, qualities, and symbols:
Major Seventh Chords
A major triad (1 3 5) with a major 7th above the root gives us a major seventh chord. The C major 7th is spelled C-E-G-B and notated Cmaj7, CM7, or CΔ.
Dominant Seventh Chords
A major triad (1 ♭3 5) with an added flat 7th (♭7) tone is a dominant 7th chord. The C dominant 7th chord is spelled C-E-G-Bb and notated C7 or Cdom.
Minor Seventh Chords
A minor triad with an added flat 7th (♭7) tone is a minor seventh chord. The C minor seventh chord is spelled C-Eb-G-Bb and notated Cmin7, Cm7, or C-7.
Minor-Major Seventh Chords
A minor triad (1 ♭3 5) with an added major 7th tone is a minor-major 7th chord. The C minor-major seventh chord is spelled C-Eb-G-B and notated CmM7 or C–Δ7.
Augmented 7th
An augmented triad (1 3 ♯5) with an added flat 7th (♭7) tone is an augmented 7th chord. The C aug 7th is spelled C-E-G♯-B♭ and notated C+7 or Caug7.
Half-diminished 7th
A diminished triad (1 ♭3 ♭5) with an added flat 7th (♭7) tone is a half-diminished 7th chord. For C, it is notated Cm7b5 or Cø and spelled C-E♭-G♭- B♭.
Diminished 7th:
A diminished triad (1 ♭3 ♭5) with an added double flat 7th (♭♭7) tone is a dim 7th chord. The C dim 7th is spelled C-E♭-G♭- B♭♭ and notated C+7 or Caug7.
Suspended 7th:
A suspended triad with an added flat 7th (♭7) tone is a sus7 chord. The C7sus2 chord is spelled C-D-G- B♭ and the C7sus4 chord is spelled C-F-G-B♭.
Note: All the different types of chords mentioned above can be played in first, second, and third inversions with the third, fifth, and seventh down in the bass.
Also, the dominant seventh is a very important chord to create tension and resolution, and we’ve covered various aspects of it in our guide titled Seventh Chords (Explained Simply With Examples).
Extended Chords
Let us do a quick recap of the chord types we’ve covered before we continue.
So far, we started with a root note, added a fifth for power chords, learned about basic chords like major, minor, augmented, and diminished chords, and added a seventh above the root to form seventh chords.
Now, we’ll learn how to add color tones on top of the seventh to expand the vertical sonority of the basic chords even further. Does it sound too theoretical? Relax; we’ll simplify it further.
In standard triad forms, chords are built in thirds with odd numbers – 1, 3, and 5. The 7th chords are the ‘primary’ extension above (higher than) the 5th. Similarly, extended chord types extend as high as the 9th, 11th, and 13th.
Let’s look at an example. Play a C major (C-E-G), add a major seventh (B), and add the 9th on top. That gives us a Cmaj9 (C-E-G-B-D).
Congrats on learning your first extended chord!
If you apply the same stacking to a dominant or minor chord, you will get a C9 and Cm9, respectively.
In Cmaj9, the 1-3-5-7 are chord tones, and the added 9th tone is the extension. 2 and 9 may reference the same interval (9th is the same as the 2nd of the scale), but we use 9 to indicate it comes after the 3, 5, and 7. So, to avoid confusion, this chord is written as a Cmaj9, not Cmaj2
Three Types of Extended Chords
As noted above, extended chords extend the chord with notes beyond the 7th by using notes from the next octave. So, there are three possibilities or types of extended chords:
- Ninth chords – Major 9th, Dominant 9th, and Minor 9th
- Eleventh chords – Major 11th, Dominant Eleventh, and Minor 11th
- Thirteenth chords – Major 13th, Dominant 13th, and Minor 13th
Here are a few things to note:
You can use the 9, 11, and 13 to extend the chord, but you cannot extend a chord any further after the thirteenth note. The fifteenth would be the root note up two octaves.
Each extension (9, 11, 13) can be raised or lowered (i.e. b9 or #9). But if you raise/lower notes, it also becomes an altered chord – which we will discuss in the next section.
Lastly, musicians rarely voice a full extended chord, i.e., they don’t play all the notes in a thirteenth chord – 1-3-5-7-9-11-13. They may choose to play a rootless voicing, omit the fifth, or omit notes between the seventh and the highest note of a chord.
For instance, you can omit the fifth in a ninth chord, omit the ninth in an eleventh chord, and omit the ninth and eleventh in a thirteenth chord.
The notes you choose to play or not play will have implications, but we will not get into those aspects of these chord types for now.
Altered Chords
You get an altered chord when you replace a chord tone (a note from the diatonic scale) with the adjacent non-chord tone (non-diatonic note) from the chromatic scale.
Simply put, to alter chords, you raise or lower one or more notes of the chord by a semi-tone, but that note should not be a part of the diatonic scale.
For instance, we can take a C7 chord (C-E-G-Bb) and replace the G with a G#. It gives us a C7#5 chord (C-E-G#-Bb) – which is called an altered dominant.
Now, in theory, you could do this to any note (except the root note) in any chord, but that won’t always work.
Generally, chord alterations are done on dominant seventh chords like C7 or C9 and are less commonly used on major seventh chords.
Lastly, they are most commonly used in ii-V-I jazz turnarounds or as leading tones for a more gratifying resolution at the end of chord progressions.
Other Types of Chords for Songwriting
“Sus” or Suspended Chords
Sus chords imply the suspension on the third note of a triadic chord, which is then replaced with a non-chord tone such as the second or fourth.
There are two suspended chords with the symbols “sus2” and “sus4.” However, “sus4” is notated as “sus,” and the lack of a number implies sus4.
Let’s take the example of C major. If you suspend the E note (M3) in a C major triad and replace it with F (4th), you get a Csus or Csus4 chord (C – F – G). Similarly, if you replace the E with a D, you get the Csus2 chord (C – D – G).
Additionally, you can combine “sus” with any other type of chord. That means you can play C7sus4 instead of C7 or a Cmin9sus2 even.
I’ve covered them in my article – Sus Chords Explained Simply. It discusses sus chords with tips on how to use them in songwriting.
“Add” Chords or Added Tone Chords
An “add” chord refers to any chord, usually a triad, with an added tone from the scale. It is notated with ‘add’, and Cadd9 is one of the most commonly used added tone chords.
The C6/9 is another example, and it demonstrates that you can add more than one note (6 and 9) if the chord does not have the 7. In fact, the ‘sixth chord’ is actually an added tone chord.
In classical music, a six-chord is the first inversion of a chord (third in the bass with the root a sixth above). What we colloquially call a ‘sixth chord’ is, in fact, a triad with a sixth added above the root.
For example, adding the A note to a C major triad (C – E – G) will give you a C6 (C – E – G – A). It is a C major triad with an added major sixth interval. It can be called a triad with an added sixth or an added sixth chord.
However, they are colloquially called sixth chords.
Slash Chords or Split Chords
A slash or slashed chord is a term used for a compound chord where the lowest note of the chord – the root note on the bottom – is replaced with another note.
They are the usual chords that you play but with a different note in the bass. Think of ‘/’ as over i.e. D/G = D (chord) over G (note).
For example, if you play a C major chord with a G note on the bottom, it will be called the C/G – a slash chord. You are essentially playing a C over a G or a G underneath the C major chord.
Unlike sus chords, you don’t need to learn new shapes to play these types of chords.
Slash chords are ideal for ascending or descending walk-down basslines, which can be diatonic or chromatic. Slash chords can also be major seventh chords, dominant chords, or any other type.
They are typically used to simplify an arrangement or create movement in an ii-V-I progression.
Polychords
A polychord refers to chord types that combine two different chords. Ploychords are notated with a dividing line, with one chord above the line that’s played in the high register and another chord below the line that’s played in the lower register.
Polychords are also called bichords. They suggest or imply bi-tonality or polytonality – the use of more than one key or chord harmonic function in use simultaneously. The Lydian augmented (#5) scale is the only scale with built-in polychord sounds (Caug + Emaj or F#dim).
Many students steer clear of polychords, assuming it involves advanced music theory. However, polychords aren’t as complex or cumbersome as they seem. Most often, they are shorthand for chords that are difficult when written out fully. Making life easy, not harder.
For instance, it’s a lot simpler to write a C6/9#11 as a Dmaj/Cmaj (/ = dividing line). Here, the Dmaj triad, played in the higher register, has the 9th, #11th, and 6th notes of the C major scale. In effect, it makes it easier to understand and play the C6/9#11.
Rootless Chords or Bill Evans Chords
Harmonically speaking, roots are overrated. Bill Evans, the legendary pianist, caught on to this. He would often leave out the root note of the basic chord to make room for extensions (like adding the 9th).
His playing style inspired Wynton Kelly, Ahmad Jamal, and other legendary musicians.
The idea is simple. If the bass player is already playing the root, the pianist does not have to play it as well. Using rootless chords in this context gives the pianist more room for voicings.
Rootless chords are easier to play and sound less crowded. They are often described as smooth, jazzy, and sophisticated.
These types of chords are useful in accompaniment, especially with the left hand on the piano. They can be used in solos, solo arrangements, and improvisation.
Players can also omit the fifth (P5) note, add chord tensions, or play an inversion of the rootless chord. The latter is commonly used in 2-5-1 progressions or for smooth voice leading.
Playing the root as the lowest note helps spell out the tonality. Therefore, playing rootless chords in solo arrangements can lead to chord ambiguity, and they can be interpreted as a chord substitute.
Even so, some artists use this ‘ambiguity’ intentionally to create interesting pieces.
You can hear Bill Evans use rootless chords in his rendition of Autumn Leaves in this video:
Shell Chords or Shell Voicings
Shell chords, chord shells, or shell voicings refer to 3-note chords that consist of essential chord tones, usually the first, third, and seventh notes of a chord.
The fifth note in these types of chords is intentionally omitted because it doesn’t play an important role in the chord harmony.
For instance, a Cmaj7 chord is spelled C E G B, but the Cmaj7 chord-shell is spelled CEB. Generally, chord shells always have the root note as the lowest note.
Theoretically speaking, shell chords generally refer to a particular way to play chords rather than a type of chord itself.
They are also called partial chords or implied chords, especially when the root is not played. These types of chords are used to harmonize the melody and in solo arrangements.
You can also use them to create walking bass lines on a guitar or for jazz/blues comping on a guitar and piano.
FAQs
How Many Types Of Chords Are There?
In music, there are three types of chords – triads, sevenths, and extended chords. Other types of chords, like altered chords or slash chords, are variations of the primary types of chords.
If you’re wondering how many chords exist, there are more than 4,000 chords in music.
How Many Types Of Guitar Chords Are There?
Instruments like guitars also have some of their own classifications of chord types/shapes (in addition to the ones we discussed above). These include power chords, barre chords, open chords, and closed chords.
What Is A Chord With 4 Notes Called?
In music, a chord with four notes or pitch classes is generally called a seventh chord.
However, you can also form various four-note chords that are outside the scope of this explanation, i.e., any triadic chord with a doubled note would be a 4-note chord.
What Are The 4 Types Of Triads?
The four types of triads in music are major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads. A triad is a chord made up of three notes, and these ‘types of triads’ refer to chord qualities determined by the intervals between notes.
Thereby, they are also the four chord qualities in music theory.
Before You Go…
Gild it, jazz it up, or keep it simple – either way, you need a thorough understanding of the types of chords, which I assume you have now.
You can use this post as a catalog to create a structured plan to expand your chord vocabulary and improve your understanding of chord harmony.
Why not continue furthering your chord knowledge with these guides…
