Chord names and symbols (popular music)

C^Δ7, or major seventh chord on C  Play .

Musicians use various kinds of chord names and symbols in different contexts, to represent musical chords. In most genres of popular music, including jazz, pop, and rock, a chord name and the corresponding symbol are typically composed of one or more of the following parts:

1. The root note (e.g., C).
2. The chord quality (e.g., minor or lowercase m, or the symbols ° or + for diminished and augmented chords; quality is usually omitted for major chords).
3. The number of an interval (e.g., seventh, or 7), or less often, its full name or symbol (e.g., major seventh, maj7, or M7).
4. The altered fifth (e.g., sharp five, or ♯5).
5. An additional interval number (e.g., add 2 or add2), in added tone chords. For instance, the name C augmented seventh, and the corresponding symbol Caug⁷, or C+⁷, are both composed of parts 1, 2, and 3.
6. Often, a bass note other than the root is indicated after a forward slash, following or slightly under the rest of the chord notation--for example, "GM⁷/B" would indicate a G major seventh chord, with B, not G, as the bass or bottom note.

Except for the root, these parts do not refer to the notes that form the chord, but to the intervals they form with respect to the root note. For instance, Caug⁷ indicates a chord formed by the notes C–E–G♯–B♭. The three parts of the symbol (C, aug, and 7) refer to the root C, the augmented (fifth) interval from C to G♯, and the (minor) seventh interval from C to B♭. A set of decoding rules is applied to deduce the missing information.

Although they are used occasionally in classical music, typically in an educational setting for harmonic analysis, these names and symbols are "universally used in jazz and popular music",^[1] in lead sheets, fake books, and chord charts, to specify the chords that make up the chord progression of a song or other piece of music. A typical sequence of a jazz or rock song in the key of C major might indicate a chord progression such as "C – Am – Dm – G⁷". This chord progression instructs the performer to play, in sequence, a "C Major" chord, an "A minor" chord, a "D minor" chord, and a "G dominant seventh" chord. In a jazz context, players have the freedom to add sevenths, ninths and higher extensions to the chord. In some pop, rock and folk genres, triads are generally performed unless specified in the chord chart (e.g., C Major 7).

Roles

These chord symbols are used by musicians for a number of purposes. Chord-playing instrumentalists in the rhythm section of a jazz quartet, rock or pop band or big band, such as a piano player, Hammond organist or electric guitarist use these symbols to guide their improvised performance of chord "voicings" and "fills". A rock or pop guitarist or keyboardist might literally play the chords just as indicated (e.g., the C major chord would be played by playing the notes C, E and G at the same time). In jazz, particularly for music from the 1940s Bebop era or later, a guitarist or keyboardist typically has latitude to add in the sixth, seventh, and/or ninth, according to "ear" and judgement. Jazz chord voicings often omit the root (leaving it to the bass player) and fifth. As such, a jazz guitarist might "voice" the C major chord with the notes E, A and D—which are the third, sixth, and ninth of the chord. The bassist (electric bass or double bass) uses the chord symbols to help improvise a bass line that outlines the chords, often by emphasizing the root and other key scale tones (third, fifth, and in a jazz context, the seventh).

The "lead instruments" in a jazz band or rock group, such as a saxophone player or lead guitarist use the chord chart to guide their improvised solos. The instrumentalist improvising a solo may use scales that work well with certain chords or chord progressions. For example, in rock and blues soloing, the pentatonic scale built on the root note is widely used to solo over straightforward chord progressions that use I, IV and V chords (in the key of C major, these would be the chords C, F and G⁷).

Other notation systems for chords include:^[2] plain staff notation, used in classical music, Roman numerals, commonly used in harmonic analysis,^[3] figured bass, much used in the Baroque era, and macro symbols, sometimes used in modern musicology.

Advantages and limitations

Any chord can be denoted using staff notation, showing not only its harmonic characteristics but also its exact voicing. However, this notation, frequently used in classical music, may provide too much information, making improvisation difficult. In fact, although voicings can and do have a significant effect on the subjective musical qualities of a composition, generally these interpretations retain the central characteristics of the chord. This provides an opportunity for improvisation within a defined structure and is important to improvised music such as jazz. Other problems are that voicings for one instrument are not necessarily physically playable on another (for example, the thirteenth chord, played on piano with up to seven notes, is usually played on guitar as a 4- or 5-note voicing that is impossible to play on piano with one hand).

As a result of these limitations, popular music and jazz use a shorthand that describes the harmonic characteristics of chords. The first part of a symbol for a chord defines the root of the chord. The root of the chord is always played by one of the instruments in the ensemble (usually by a bass instrument). Failure to include the root means that the indicated chord may be hard to hear for some listeners. By convention, the root alone indicates a simple major triad, i.e., the root, the major third, and the perfect fifth above the root. After this, various additional symbols are added to modify this chord. There is unfortunately no universal standard for these symbols. The most common ones are below.

This notation does not easily provide for ways of describing all chords. Some chords can be very difficult to notate, and others that exist theoretically are rarely encountered. For example, there are six possible permutations of triads (chords with three notes) involving minor or major thirds and perfect, augmented, or diminished fifths. However, conventionally only four are used (major, minor, augmented and diminished). There is nothing to stop a composer using the other two, but the question of what to call them is interesting. A minor third with an augmented fifth might be denoted, for example, by Am⁺, which would strike most musicians as odd. In fact, this turns out to be the same as F/A bass (see slash chords below). A major third with a diminished fifth might be shown as A^♭5.

Usually, when composers require a chord that is not easily described using this notation, they indicate the required chord in a footnote or in the header of the music. Alternatively, chords can be specified with more detailed numbers. For example, for a C9 chord with no seventh, the composer can write C9 (no 7th), because the normal rule in jazz is that in a ninth chord, the seventh is assumed.

Chord quality

Chord qualities are related with the qualities of the component intervals that define the chord (see below). The main chord qualities are:

• Major, and minor.
• Augmented, diminished, and half-diminished.
• Dominant.

Some of the symbols used for chord quality are similar to those used for interval quality:

• No symbol, or sometimes M or Maj (see rule 2 below) for major,
• m, or min for minor,
• aug for augmented,
• dim for diminished.

In addition, however,

• Δ is sometimes used for major,^{[lower-alpha 1]} instead of the standard M, or maj,
• − is sometimes used for minor, instead of the standard m or min,
• a lowercase root note is sometimes used for minor, e.g. c instead of Cm,
• +, or aug, is used for augmented (A is not used),
• ^o, °, dim, is used for diminished (d is not used),
• ^ø, or ^Ø is used for half diminished,
• dom may occasionally be used for dominant.

Chord qualities are sometimes omitted (see below). When specified, they appear immediately after the root note or, if the root is omitted, at the beginning of the chord name or symbol. For instance, in the symbol Cm⁷ (C minor seventh chord) C is the root and m is the chord quality. When the terms minor, major, augmented, diminished, or the corresponding symbols do not appear immediately after the root note, or at the beginning of the name or symbol, they should be considered interval qualities, rather than chord qualities. For instance, in Cm^M7 (minor major seventh chord), m is the chord quality and M refers to the M7 interval.

Rules to decode chord names and symbols

The amount of information provided in a chord name or symbol lean toward the minimum, to increase efficiency. However, it is often necessary to deduce from a chord name or symbol the component intervals that define the chord. The missing information is implied and must be deduced according to some conventional rules:

1. General rule to interpret existing information about chord quality

   For triads, major or minor always refer to the third interval, while augmented and diminished always refer to the fifth (an augmented fifth above the root and a diminished fifth above the root, respectively). The same is true for the corresponding symbols (e.g., Cm means C^m3, and C+ means C⁺⁵). Thus, the terms third and fifth and the corresponding symbols 3 and 5 are typically omitted. It is assumed that the chord-playing musician plays the 3rd and 5th above the root, so this is not explicitly stated.

   This rule can be generalized to all kinds of chords,^{[lower-alpha 2]} provided the above-mentioned qualities appear immediately after the root note, or at the beginning of the chord name or symbol. For instance, in the chord symbols Cm and Cm⁷, m refers to the interval m3, and 3 is omitted. When these qualities do not appear immediately after the root note, or at the beginning of the name or symbol, they should be considered interval qualities, rather than chord qualities. For instance, in Cm/M7 (minor-major seventh chord), m is the chord quality and refers to the m3 interval, while M refers to the M7 interval. When the number of an extra interval is specified immediately after chord quality, the quality of that interval may coincide with chord quality (e.g., CM⁷ = CM^M7). However, this is not always true (e.g., Cm⁶ = Cm^M6, C+⁷ = C+^m7, CM¹¹ = CM^P11).^{[lower-alpha 2]} See specific rules below for further details.

2. General rule to deduce missing information about chord quality

   Without contrary information, a major third interval and a perfect fifth interval (major triad) are implied. For instance, a C chord is a C major triad, and the name C minor seventh (Cm⁷) implies a minor 3rd by rule 1, a perfect 5th by this rule, and a minor 7th by definition (see below). This rule has one exception (see the first specific rule below). The chord built on the fifth scale degree, the dominant chord, is often interpreted as a dominant seventh chord, even if the chord chart does not specifically indicate this. For example, for a song in the key of C Major, if a G chord is indicated, many chord-playing musicians instinctively play a G7 chord. In blues, if a song indicates "C, F, and G" as the chords, many blues guitarists and blues pianists play "C7, F7, and G7", as using dominant seventh chords in place of major chords is an idiomatic part of the blues sound.

3. Specific rules

   When the fifth interval is diminished, the third must be minor.^{[lower-alpha 3]} This rule overrides rule 2. For instance, Cdim⁷ implies a diminished 5th by rule 1, a minor 3rd by this rule, and a diminished 7th by definition (see below).

   Names and symbols with only a plain interval number (e.g., “Seventh chord”) or the chord root and a number (e.g., “C seventh”, or C⁷) are interpreted as follows:

   • If the number is 2, 4, 6, etc., the chord is a major added tone chord (e.g., C⁶ = CM⁶ = C^add6) and contains, together with the implied major triad, an extra major 2nd, perfect 4th, or major 6th (see below). Note that 2 and 4 are sometimes also used to abbreviate suspended chords (e.g., C² = C^sus2).
   • If the number is 7, 9, 11, 13, etc., the chord is dominant (e.g., C⁷ = Cdom⁷) and contains, together with the implied major triad, one or more of the following extra intervals: minor 7th, major 9th, perfect 11th, and major 13th (see Seventh chords and Extended chords below).
   • If the number is 5, the chord (technically not a chord in the traditional sense, but a dyad) is a power chord. Only the root, a perfect fifth and usually an octave are played.

   For sixth chord names or symbols composed only of root, quality and number (such as "C major sixth", or "CM⁶"):

   • M, maj, or major stands for major-major (e.g., CM⁶ means CM^M6),
   • m, min, or minor stands for minor-major (e.g., Cm6 means Cm^M6).

   For seventh chord names or symbols composed only of root, quality and number (such as "C major seventh", or "CM⁷"):

   • dom, or dominant stands for major-minor (e.g., Cdom⁷ means CM^m7), COMMON FAULT, THIS IS NOT THE C Dominant seventh chord (ref** ref 8) C-E-G-Bb is FDom7, CDom7 = G-B-D-F refer to Grove, Oxford, Collins etc
   • M, maj, or major stands for major-major (e.g., CM⁷ means CM^M7),
   • m, min, or minor stands for minor-minor (e.g., Cm⁷ means Cm^m7),
   • +, aug, or augmented stands for augmented-minor (e.g., C+⁷ means C+^m7),
   • ^o, dim, or diminished stands for diminished-diminished (e.g., C^o7 means C^oo7),
   • ^ø, or half-diminished stands for diminished-minor (e.g., C^ø7 means C^om7).

   Other specific rules for extended and added tone chords are given below.

Examples

The table shows the application of these generic and specific rules to interpret some of the main chord symbols. The same rules apply for the analysis of chord names. A limited amount of information is explicitly provided in the chord symbol (boldface font in the column labeled "Component intervals"), and can be interpreted with rule 1. The rest is implied (plain font), and can be deduced by applying the other rules. The "Analysis of symbol parts" is performed by applying rule 1.

Chord Symbol		Analysis of symbol parts				Component intervals			Notes	Integers	Chord name
Short	Long	Root	Third	Fifth	Added	Third	Fifth	Added
C		C				maj3	perf5		C–E–G	{0, 4, 7}	Major triad
CM [lower-alpha 4]	Cmaj [lower-alpha 4]	C	maj			maj3	perf5
Cm	Cmin	C	min			min3	perf5		C–E♭–G	{0, 3, 7}	Minor triad
C+	Caug	C		aug		maj3	aug5		C–E–G♯	{0, 4, 8}	Augmented triad
Co	Cdim	C		dim		min3	dim5		C–E♭–G♭	{0, 3, 6}	Diminished triad
C6		C			6	maj3	perf5	maj6	C–E–G–A	{0, 4, 7, 9}	Major sixth chord
CM6 [lower-alpha 4]	Cmaj6 [lower-alpha 4]	C	maj		6	maj3	perf5	maj6
Cm6	Cmin6	C	min		6	min3	perf5	maj6	C–E♭–G–A	{0, 3, 7, 9}	Minor sixth chord
C7	C7	C			7	maj3	perf5	min7	C-E-G-Bb**	{0, 4, 7, 10}	Seventh Chord (note the convention to use the Chromatic flattened 7th.) ]]
CM7	Cmaj7	C			maj7	maj3	perf5	maj7	C–E–G–B	{0, 4, 7, 11}	Major seventh chord
Cm7	Cmin7	C	min		7	min3	perf5	min7	C–E♭–G–B♭	{0, 3, 7, 10}	Minor seventh chord
C+7	Caug7	C		aug	7	maj3	aug5	min7	C–E–G♯–B♭	{0, 4, 8, 10}	Augmented seventh chord
Co7	Cdim7	C		dim	7	min3	dim5	dim7	C–E♭–G♭–B	{0, 3, 6, 9}	Diminished seventh chord
Cø		C		dim		min3	dim5	min7	C–E♭–G♭–B♭	{0, 3, 6, 10}	Half-diminished seventh chord
Cø7		C		dim	7	min3	dim5	min7
CmM7 Cm/M7 Cm(M7)	Cminmaj7 Cmin/maj7 Cmin(maj7)	C	min		maj7	min3	perf5	maj7	C–E♭–G–B	{0, 3, 7, 11}	Minor-major seventh chord

For each symbol, several formatting options are available. Except for the root, all the other parts of the symbols may be either superscripted or subscripted. Sometimes, parts of the symbol may be separated by a slash, or written within parentheses. For instance:

• CM⁷ may be written CM⁷, C^M7, CM₇, or C_M7.
• Cm^M7 may be written as Cm_M7, Cm/M7, Cm(M7), or simply CmM7.

Short and long symbols for chord quality (such as m for minor and maj for major, respectively) are sometimes both used in the same chord symbol. For instance:

• Cm^M7 may be also written Cm^maj7.

Intervals

A chord consists of two or more notes played simultaneously that are certain intervals apart with respect to the chord root.

Triads

As earlier suggested, the root written alone indicates a simple major triad. It consists of the root, the major third, and the perfect fifth above the root. Minor triads are the same as major triads, but with the third lowered by a half step. Augmented triads are the same as a major triad, but with an augmented fifth instead of a perfect fifth. Diminished triads are similar to minor triads, but with a diminished fifth instead of a perfect fifth (the minor third is retained).

The table below shows names, symbols and definition for the four kinds of triads (using C as root).

Seventh chords

A seventh chord is a triad with an added note, which is either a major seventh above the root, a minor seventh above the root (flatted 7th), or a diminished seventh above the root (double flatted 7th). Note that the diminished seventh note is enharmonically equivalent to the major sixth above the root of the chord. When not otherwise specified, the name "seventh chord" may more specifically refer to a major triad with an added minor seventh (a seventh chord).

The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of seventh chords (using C as root).

Name	Symbols			Definitions
	Short	Long	Altered fifth	Component intervals			Integers	Notes
				Third	Fifth	Seventh
Seventh - Note the convention to use the chromatic flattened 7th	C7	C7		major	perfect	minor	{0, 4, 7, 10}	C–E–G–B♭
Major seventh	CM7 CMa7 C j7 CΔ7 CΔ [lower-alpha 1]	Cmaj7		major	perfect	major	{0, 4, 7, 11}	C–E–G–B
Minor-major seventh	CmM7 Cm♯7 C−M7 C−Δ7 C−Δ	Cminmaj7		minor	perfect	major	{0, 3, 7, 11}	C–E♭–G–B
Minor seventh	Cm7 C-7	Cmin7		minor	perfect	minor	{0, 3, 7, 10}	C–E♭–G–B♭
Augmented-major seventh (major seventh sharp five)	C+M7 C+Δ	Caugmaj7	CM7♯5 / CM7+5 CΔ♯5 / CΔ+5	major	augmented	major	{0, 4, 8, 11}	C–E–G♯–B
Augmented seventh (dominant seventh sharp five)	C+7	Caug7	C7♯5 / C7+5	major	augmented	minor	{0, 4, 8, 10}	C–E–G♯–B♭
Half-diminished seventh (minor seventh flat five)	CØ / CØ7 Cø / Cø7 E♭m6 3rd inversion	Cmin7dim5 E♭min6 d	Cm7♭5 / Cm7°5 C−7♭5 / C−7°5	minor	diminished	minor	{0, 3, 6, 10}	C–E♭–G♭–B♭
Diminished seventh	Co7 C°7	Cdim7		minor	diminished	diminished	{0, 3, 6, 9}	C–E♭–G♭–B
Seventh flat five (seventh flat five)	C7♭5	C7dim5		major	diminished	minor	{0, 4, 6, 10}	C–E–G♭–B♭

For each symbol, several formatting options are available. See Examples above for further details.

Some 7th chords can be considered as triad chords with alternate bass. For instance,

• Cm⁷ = C–E♭–G–B♭ = E♭/C
• Cmaj⁷ = C–E–G–B = Em/C

Extended chords

Extended chords add further notes onto 7th chords. Of the 7 notes in the major scale, a seventh chord uses only four (root, a third above the root, a fifth above the root and a seventh above the root). The other three notes (the second above the root, the fourth above the root and the sixth above the root) can be added in any combination; however, just as with the triads and seventh chords, notes are most commonly stacked – a seventh implies that there is a fifth and a third and a root. In practice, especially in jazz, certain notes can be omitted without changing the quality of the chord. In a jazz ensemble with a bass player, the chord-playing instrumentalists (guitar, organ, piano, etc.) can omit the root, as the bass player typically incorporates this into the bassline.

The 9th, 11th and 13th chords are known as extended tertian chords. As the scale repeats for every seven notes in the scale, these notes are enharmonically equivalent to the 2nd, 4th, and 6th – except they are more than an octave above the root. However, this does not mean that they must be played in the higher octave. Although changing the octave of certain notes in a chord (within reason) does change the way the chord sounds, it does not change the essential characteristics or tendency of it. Accordingly, using 9th, 11th and 13th in chord notation implies that the chord is an extended tertian chord rather than an added chord (see Added Chords below).

The convention is that using an odd number (7 or 9 or 11 or 13) implies that all the other lower odd numbers are also included. Thus C13 implies that 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 are also there. Using an even number such as 6, implies that only that one extra note has been added to the base triad e.g. 1, 3, 5, 6. Remember that this is theory, so in practice they do not have to be played in that ascending order e.g. 5, 1, 6, 3. Also,to resolve the clash between 3 and 11(AKA 4) one of them may be deleted or separated by an octave and/or, distributed to different colour(timbre) instruments. Another way to resolve might be to covert the chord to minor by flattening the 3rd, which generates a clash between the flat 3rd and the 9th(AKA 2).

9ths

9th chords are built by adding a 9th from the root to a seventh chord. A 9th chord includes the 7th. Without the 7th, the chord is not an extended chord, but becomes an added tone chord—in this case, an add 9. 9ths can be added to any chord, but are most commonly seen with major, dominant, and minor sevenths. The most commonly omitted note for a voicing is the perfect 5th.

The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of ninth chords (using C as root)

Name	Symbol		Quality of added 9th	Notes
	Short	Long
(Major) 9th	CM9 / CΔ9	Cmaj9	Major	C–E–G–B–D
9th	C9	C9	Major	C–E–G–B♭–D
Minor major 9th	CmM9 / C−M9	Cminmaj9	Major	C–E♭–G–B–D
Minor 9th	Cm9 / C−9	Cmin9	Major	C–E♭–G–B♭–D
Augmented major 9th	C+M9	Caugmaj9	Major	C–E–G♯–B–D
Augmented dominant 9th	C+9 / C9♯5	Caug9	Major	C–E–G♯–B♭–D
Half-diminished 9th	Cø9		Major	C–E♭–G♭–B♭–D
Half-diminished minor 9th	Cø♭9		Minor	C–E♭–G♭–B♭–D♭
Diminished 9th	C°9	Cdim9	Major	C–E♭–G♭–B–D
Diminished minor 9th	C°♭9	Cdim♭9	Minor	C–E♭–G♭–B–D♭

NOTE

11ths

These are theoretically 9th chords with the 11th (4th) note in the scale added. However, it is common to leave certain notes out. The major 3rd is often omitted because of a strong dissonance with the 11th (4th), therefore called an avoid note. Omission of the 3rd reduces an 11th chord to the corresponding 9sus4 (suspended 9th chord; Aikin 2004, p. 104). Similarly, omission of the 3rd as well as 5th in C¹¹ results in a major chord with alternate base B♭/C, which is characteristic in soul and gospel music. For instance:

• C¹¹ without 3rd = C–(E)–G–B♭–D–F ≈ C–F–G–B♭–D = C^9sus4
• C¹¹ without 3rd and 5th = C–(E)–(G)-B♭–D–F ≈ C–F–B♭–D = B♭/C

If the 9th is omitted, the chord is no longer an extended chord, but an added tone chord (see below). Without the 3rd, this added tone chord becomes a 7sus4 (suspended 7th chord). For instance:

• C¹¹ without 9th = C^7add11 = C–E–G–B♭–(D)–F
• C^7add11 without 3rd = C–(E)–G–B♭–(D)-F ≈ C–F–G–B♭ = C^7sus4 NB - to properly use the term "sus4", the 4 (in this example the "F"), must have been played in the previous chord so that it can be suspended as a dissonant note into the new chord

The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of eleventh chords (using C as root)

Name	Symbol		Quality of added 11th	Notes
	Short	Long
11th (11th)	C11	C11	Perfect	C–E–G–B♭–D–F
Major 11th	CM11	Cmaj11	Perfect	C–E–G–B–D–F
Minor major 11th	CmM11 / C−M11	Cminmaj11	Perfect	C–E♭–G–B–D–F
Minor 11th	Cm11 / C−11	Cmin11	Perfect	C–E♭–G–B♭–D–F
Augmented major 11th	C+M11	Caugmaj11	Perfect	C–E–G♯–B–D–F
Augmented 11th	C+11 / C11♯5	Caug11	Perfect	C–E–G♯–B♭–D–F
Half-diminished 11th	CØ11		Perfect	C–E♭–G♭–B♭–D–F
Diminished 11th	C°11	Cdim11	Perfect	C–E♭–G♭–B–D–F

Alterations from the natural diatonic chords can be specified as C^9♯11 ... etc. Omission of the 5th in a sharpened 11th chord reduces its sound to a flat-fifth chord. (Aiken 2004, p. 94):

C^9♯11 = C–E–(G)–B♭–D–F♯ ≈ C–E–G♭–B♭–D = C^9♭5

Added tone chords

An important characteristic of jazz and blues is the extensive use of Seventh chords. In jazz, any chord indicated in a chord chart or fakebook may be interpreted with an added seventh, according to the discretion and musical instincts of the chord-playing musicians. For example, for a jazz song in the key of C, if the opening chord indicates "C" or "C Major", a jazz guitarist accompanying the singer may add the major seventh. For jazz-style blues progressions, any major chords may be played as dominant seventh chords. For example, a jazz musician who sees the turnaround I VI/ii V written as C A/d min G in a fakebook typically interprets this as C7 A7/d min7 G7. This interpretation means that a composer who wants a jazz comping musician to play a simple triad (for artistic reasons or effect) usually must be explicit in the lead sheet or part. For example, if a song in the key of C has a chord labelled "G", a composer who wants a simple triad (the notes G, B, and D) may write G (triad only) or G (no 7).

The combination of 9th (2nd), 11th (4th) and 13th (6th) notes with 7ths in a chord give jazz chord voicings their distinctive sound. However the use of these notes is not exclusive to the jazz genre; in fact they are very commonly used in folk, classical and popular music generally. Without the 7th, these chords lose their jazzy feel, but can still be very complex. These chords are called added tone chords because they are basic triads with notes added. They can be described as having a more open sound than extended chords.

In blues, when chords are written without additional notation requesting sevenths, the chords are often played as dominant seventh chords. For example, in the progression C/F/C/C/F/F/C/C/G/F/C/G, a simple version of the 12 bar blues, chord-playing musicians often play all of these chords as dominant seventh chords (e.g., using the chords C7, F7, and G7).

Notation must provide some way of showing that a chord is an added tone chord as opposed to extended. There are two ways this is shown generally, and it is very common to see both methods on the same score. One way is to simply use the word 'add', for example:

• C^add9

The second way is to use 2 instead of 9, implying that it is not a 7th chord for instance:

• C²

Note that in this way we potentially get other ways of showing a 9th chord:

• C^7add9
• C^7add2
• C^7/9

Generally however the above is shown as simply C⁹, which implies a 7th in the chord. Added tone chord notation is useful with 7th chords to indicate partial extended chords. For example:

• C^7add13

This would indicate that the 13th is added to the 7th, but without the 9th and 11th.

The use of 2, 4 and 6 as opposed to 9, 11 and 13 indicates that the chord does not include a 7th unless specifically specified. However, it does not mean that these notes must be played within an octave of the root, nor the extended notes in 7th chords should be played outside of the octave, although it is commonly the case. 6 is particularly common in a minor sixth chord (also known as minor/major sixth chord, as the 6 refers to a major sixth interval).

It is possible to have added tone chords with more than one added note. The most commonly encountered of these are 6/9 chords, which are basic triads with the 6th and 2nd notes of the scale added. These can be confusing because of the use of 9, yet the chord does not include the 7th. A good rule of thumb is that if any added note is less than 7, then no 7th is implied, even if there are some notes shown as greater than 7.

Similarly, even numbers such as 8, 10 and 12 can be added. However, these double the main triad, and as such are fairly rare. 10 tends to be the most common; it can be used both in suspended chords and (with an accidental) in major or minor chords to produce a major–minor clash (e.g., C^7♭10 indicating the Hendrix chord of C–E–G–B♭–E♭). However, because of enharmonics, such chords can more easily, and perhaps more intuitively, be represented by ♯2 (or ♯9) for a minor over a major or ♭4 for a major over a minor. In any other case, an 8, 10 or 12 simply indicates the respective note from the triad doubled up one octave.

Suspended chords

A suspended chord is a triad where a note that does not belong to that chord (and is therefore a dissonant note) was being played in the previous chord and is continued to be played in the new chord. Thus it is said to be "suspended" as a dissonant note in the new chord. The most common example is V7 to I. So in "C", it is G,B,D,F moving to C, E, G but, the F is being suspended from the previous chord thus we have V7 to Isus4. In practice the 3rd (E) is replaced by the 4th (F). This chord, because of its dissonant sound,"desires" to resolve into a normal triad, i.e the F then resolves to the E. Thus we have the progression V7 to Isus4 to I.

There are many variations to suspensions e.g. suspend the 2nd instead of the fourth or even suspend both (called a double suspension). If the progression starts on a 9th chord, the 6th may also be suspended. Three points to note: Firstly, the number given to the suspended note is as it appears in the new chord, not the previous chord. Thus in C, V7 to Isus4, the suspended note 4 is F, which was 7 in the previous chord. Secondly, if the dissonant note does not appear in the previous chord then there is no note being suspended and that note is simply an added note. Thus in our example if the progress is from V with no 7, and the F appears in I it is not a suspension. It is just V to C4 eg G,B,D to C, F, G. Thirdly, in our example, the G appears in both chords but as it is consonant (not dissonant) in the new chord, it is not labeled as a suspension.

Suspended chords are notated with the symbols "sus4" or "sus2". Where "sus" is found on its own, the suspended fourth chord is implied. The resolution to a regular triad may not be indicated in the chord notation, but the chord-playing instrumentalists may do the resolution even if it is not notated.

The resolution is especially appropriate if the written melody resolves from a fourth to a third above the root (e.g., if the chord G sus 4, in the key of C Major, lasts a bar in 4,4, and the melody note resolves from the note "C" for two beats and then the note "B" for two beats, this 4-3 resolution in the melody is often mirrored by chord-playing musicians shifting from G sus 4 to G Major. A composer or songwriter who wants to leave the tension unresolved in the backing band may write "N.C" (no chord) after the G sus 4 chord is sounded for the first two beats. This tells chord-playing musicians not to play any chord.

The "sus" indication can be combined with any other notation. So for example:

• C^9sus4

This chord is an extended 9th chord with the 3rd replaced by the 4th (C-F–G–B♭–D). However, the major third can be added as a tension above the 4th to "colorize" the chord (C-F–G–B♭–D–E). A sus4 chord with the added major third (sometimes called a major 10th) can also be quartally voiced as C–F–B♭–E.

Sus chords are used extensively in jazz, where entire song sections may be based on sus chords. Sus chords of short duration (half a bar) are common in rock, pop and folk.

Power "chords"

Though power chords are not true chords per se, as the term "chord" is generally defined as three or more different notes (pitch classes) sounded simultaneously, and a power chord contains only two pitch classes (the root, the fifth, and often a doubling of the root at the octave), power chords are still expressed using a version of chord notation. Most commonly, power chords (e.g., C–G–C) are expressed using a "5" (e.g., C⁵). Power chords are also referred to as fifth chords, indeterminate chords or neutral chords (though the term "neutral chord," when expressed with an n (e.g., Cn), is also used to describe a pair of stacked neutral thirds, e.g., C–E–G, which requires a quarter tone or similarly sized microtone; or the mixed third chord), since they are inherently neither major nor minor; generally, a power chord refers to a specific doubled-root, three-note voicing of a fifth chord.

Power chords played on a heavily distorted and loudly amplified electric guitar are a foundational part of the sound and impact of heavy metal music and hardcore punk. Power chords are also used, though less commonly, on other instruments, such as Hammond organ in a traditional heavy metal genre (e.g., Deep Purple) or electric bass in heavy metal or grunge. In hard rock and heavy metal, in some cases where there are rapid chord changes in a lead sheet, these are interpreted as power chords, even if they are not notated in "C5"-style notation. For example, in the following chord progression, "C ///|F///|G///|C B B♭ A", if a fast tempo was played, many hard rock or heavy metal guitarists would play the "C B Bb A" measure as power chords. In other cases, a rock guitarist may decide to interpret a several bar reiteration of what appears notated on the lead sheet as a major or minor chord (e.g., C Maj or C min) as C5, for the raw, stark effect that a power chord provides.

To represent an extended neutral chord, e.g., a seventh (C–G–B♭), the chord is expressed as its corresponding extended chord notation with the addition of the words "no3rd," "no3" or the like. The aforementioned chord, for instance, would be indicated C^7no3.

Chords containing quarter tones

While not a common practice, the methods for naming chord names and symbols can be adapted to naming chords that contain quarter tones.

Inversions

In addition to all of the ways of building chords (listed above), a chord may be inverted. Inverting a chord refers to playing a chord, but with a note other than the root as the lowest note of the chord. Take, for example, the C major and the C dominant seventh chords. Refer to the tables below for a list of inversions.

The notation C/E bass indicates a C major chord, but with an E in the bass. Likewise the notation C/G bass indicates that a C major chord is played with a G in the bass. In a jazz quartet with a bass player, the bass player plays the indicated bass note.

See figured bass for alternate method of notating specific notes in the bass.

Hybrid chords

Other symbols

The right slash / or diagonal line written above the staff where chord symbols occur is used to indicate a beat during which the most recent chord symbol is understood to continue. It is used to help make uneven harmonic rhythms more readable. For example, if written above a measure of standard time, "C / F G" would mean that the C chord symbol lasts two beats while F and G last one beat each. The slash is separated from the surrounding chord symbols so as not to be confused with the chord-over-a-bass-note notation that also uses a slash. Another example is "C///|F///|G///||A G F G"; in this example, the C Major chord is played for one measure, the F Major chord for one measure, the G Major chord for one measure, and then in the last bar, there is one chord per beat "A G F G". Some fake books extend this slash rhythm notation further by indicating chords that are held as a whole note with a diamond, and indicating unison rhythm section rhythmic figures with the appropriate note heads and stems.

For chord abbreviations, the right slash indicates the bass note if other than the root. It is usually written with the complete chord name, and, after the slash symbol, the desired bass note. For example, the symbol C/G would mean that the chord to play is a C major triad with a G as the bass note, leading to the following notes: G–C–E (commonly known as the 2nd inversion C major triad). Some arrangers use C/G bass, adding the word bass to make the intention clear. With just C/G, a musician might misinterpret this as a polychord (two chords played simultaneously). In this example, if C/G was intended to be read as a polychord, a pianist would play a C Major chord (the notes C, E and G) and a G Major chord (the notes G, B and D) simultaneously.

Simile marks

A simile mark in the middle of an otherwise empty measure tells the musician to repeat the chord or chords of the preceding measure. When seen with two slashes instead of one it indicates that the previous measure's chords should be repeated for two further measures, called a double simile, and is placed on the measure line between the two empty bars. It simplifies the job of both the music reader (who can quickly scan ahead to the next chord change) and the copyist (who doesn't need to repeat every chord symbol).

The chord notation N.C. indicates the musician should play no chord. The duration of this symbol follows the same rules as a regular chord symbol. This is used by composers and songwriters to indicate that the chord playing musicians (guitar, keyboard, etc.) and the bass player should stop accompanying for the length covered by the "No Chord" symbol. Often the "No Chord" symbol is used to enable a solo singer or solo instrumentalist to play a pickup to a new section or an interlude without accompaniment.

The stopping of the accompaniment creates a contrast for the listener. It can also enable the songwriter to do a modulation to a new key during the "No Chord" period, as the lack of chords and bassline can free the composer to shift to a different key. If the composer did not write "No Chord", the chord-playing instrumentalists and the bassist might think that the last indicated chord should be continued, as one of the conventions of lead sheet writing is that if the same chord (often the tonic or "I" chord) is repeated for a number of measures, the arranger does not have to keep writing "C Major" in every bar.

An even more stringent indication for the band to tacet (stop playing) is the marking solo break. In jazz and popular music, this indicates that the entire band, including the drummer and percussionist, should stop playing to allow a solo instrumentalist to play a short cadenza, often one or two bars long. This rhythm section tacet creates a change of texture and gives the soloist great rhythmic freedom to speed up, slow down, or play with a varied tempo.

See also

• Alberti bass
• Jazz chord
• Macro analysis
• Tablature
• Universal key

Notes

Sources

Further reading

• Aikin, Jim (2004). Chords & Harmony. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-798-6
• Carl Brandt and Clinton Roemer (1976). Standardized Chord Symbol Notation. Roevick Music Co. ISBN 978-0961268428. Cited in Benward & Saker (2003), p. 76.