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How to Read Chord Symbols

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HOW TO READ CHORD SYMBOLS The letters telling you WHICH CHORD to play – are called – CHORD QUALITIES. Chord qualities refer to the intervals between notes - which define the chord. 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: • m, or min for minor, • M, maj, or no symbol for major, • aug for augmented, • dim for diminished. In addition, however, • Δ is sometimes used for major, instead of the standard M, or maj, • − is sometimes used for minor, instead of the standard m or min, • +, 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 is used for dominant. Chord qualities are sometimes omitted – you will only see C or D (means to play C Major or D Major). When specified, they appear immediately after the root note. For instance, in the symbol Cm7 (C minor seventh chord) C is the root and m is the chord quality. When there are multiple “qualities” after the chord name – the accordionist will play the first “quality” for the left hand chord and “define” the other “qualities” in the right hand. 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. 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, CM7, CM7, or CM7. • CmM7 may be written as CmM7, 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). QUICK CHORD CHART REFERENCE Component Chord Symbol Analysis of symbol parts intervals Notes Chord name Short Long Root Third Fifth Added Third Fifth Added C C maj3 perf5 C-E-G Major triad CM Cmaj C maj maj3 perf5 C-E-G Cm Cmin C min min3 perf5 C-E♭-G Minor triad C+ Caug C aug maj3 aug5 C-E-G Augmented triad ♯ o Cdim C dim min3 dim5 Diminished triad C C-E♭-G♭ C6 C 6 maj3 perf5 maj6 C-E-G-A Major sixth chord CM6 Cmaj6 C maj 6 maj3 perf5 maj6 Cm6 Cmin6 C min 6 min3 perf5 maj6 C-E♭-G-A Minor sixth chord C7 Cdom7 C 7 maj3 perf5 min7 C-E-G-B♭ Dominant seventh chord CM7 Cmaj7 C maj 7 maj3 perf5 maj7 C-E-G-B Major seventh chord Cm7 Cmin7 C min 7 min3 perf5 min7 C-E♭-G-B♭ Minor seventh chord C+7 Caug7 C aug 7 maj3 aug5 min7 C-E-G♯-B♭ Augmented seventh chord o Cdim7 C dim 7 min3 dim5 maj6 Diminished seventh chord C 7 C-E♭-G♭-A ø C dim min3 dim5 min7 C Half-diminished seventh C-E♭-G♭-B♭ chord Cø7 C dim 7 min3 dim5 min7 CmM7 Cminmaj7 C min maj7 min3 perf5 maj7 Minor-major seventh chord Cm/M7 Cmin/maj7 C-E♭-G-B Cm(M7) Cmin(maj7) 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 dominant seventh chord). For each symbol, several formatting options are available. Some 7th chords can be considered as triad chords with alternate bass. For instance, • Cm7 = C-E♭-G-B♭ = E♭/C or Cmaj7 = C-E-G-B = Em/C The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of seventh chords (using C as root). Symbols Definitions Name Altered Component intervals Short Long Integers Notes fifth Third Fifth Seventh Seventh {0, 4, 7, C7 Cdom7 major perfect minor C-E-G-B♭ (dominant seventh) 10} CM7 7 CMa 7 {0, 4, 7, Major seventh j7 Cmaj major perfect major C-E-G-B C 11} CΔ 7 CmM7 Cm ♯7 M7 maj7 {0, 3, 7, Minor-major seventh C− Cmin minor perfect major C-E♭-G-B 11} C−Δ7 C−Δ 7 Cm 7 {0, 3, 7, Minor seventh Cmin minor perfect minor C-E♭-G-B♭ C-7 10} Augmented-major M7 CM7♯5 / C+ {0, 4, 8, Caugmaj7 CM7+5 major augmented major C-E-G♯-B seventh +Δ 11} C ♯5 +5 (major seventh sharp five) CΔ / CΔ Augmented seventh 7 7 {0, 4, 8, C+ Caug C7♯5 / C7+5 major augmented minor C-E-G♯-B♭ (dom. seventh sharp five) 10} Half-diminished Ø Ø7 Cm7♭5 / C / C {0, 3, 6, C-E♭-G♭-B Cmin7dim5 Cm7°5 minor diminished minor seventh ø ø C / C 7 5 °5 10} ♭ (minor seventh flat five) C−7♭ / C−7 o7 C 7 C-E♭-G♭-B Diminished seventh 7 Cdim minor diminished diminished {0, 3, 6, 9} C° Seventh flat five 7dim5 {0, 4, 6, C7♭5 Cdom major diminished minor C-E-G♭-B♭ (dominant seventh flat five) 10} Extended Chords (9th, 11th, 13th) Extended chords add further notes onto 7th chords. Of the 7 notes in the major scale, a seventh chord uses only 4. The other 3 notes 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. 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). 9ths 9th chords are built by adding to a seventh chord a note - which is an interval of a ninth from root. This implies that the 7th note from root is also included in the chord. When the 7th is omitted, the chord cannot be classified as an extended chord, as it becomes an added tone chord. 9ths may be theoretically added to any type of chord, however they are most commonly seen with Major, Dominant and Minor sevenths. The most commonly omitted note for voicings is the perfect 5th. The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of ninth chords (using C as root) Symbol Quality of Name Notes Short Long added 9th (Major) 9th CM9 / CΔ9 Cmaj9 Major C-E-G-B-D Dominant 9th C9 Cdom9 Major C-E-G-B♭-D Minor Major 9th CmM9 / C−M9 Cminmaj9 Major C-E♭-G-B-D Minor Dominant 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 / C95 Caug9 Major C-E-G♯-B♭-D Major C-E♭-G♭-B♭-D Half-Diminished 9th CØ9 Half-Diminished Minor 9th CØ9 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♭ 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. 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 = C9sus4 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 = C7add11 = C-E-G-B♭-(D)-F C7add11 without 3rd = C-(E)-G-B♭-(D)-F ≈ C-F-G-B♭ = C7sus4 The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of eleventh chords (using C as root) Symbol Quality of Name Notes Short Long added 11th 11th C11 Cdom11 Perfect C-E-G-B♭-D-F (dominant 11th) 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 / C115 Caug11 Perfect C-E-G♯-B♭-D-F Half-Diminished 11th CØ11 Perfect C-E♭-G♭-B♭-D♭-F Diminished 11th C°11 Cdim11 Diminished C-E♭-G♭-B -D♭-F♭ Alterations from the natural diatonic chords can be specified as C9♯11 ..
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