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Ref: Chord Names/Notes/Spellings

Chords are referred to by full (or "spoken") names as well as symbolic representations. For example, "C Major" is the spoken name for (C E G), while the symbolic name is simply "C".

Symbolic chord notation typically take the following form:

Root Note quality (m, dim/°, aug/+) number indicating extension (6,7,9,11,13) modifier (add/sus Interval #) note modifier (+/-/♯/♭ Interval #) inversion (/Bass Note)
  • The Root Note is the alphabetical note name, ex. "C". The octave number is never included - "C", not "C3".
  • "m" appears after the root note if the chord uses a m3. Although some chords have "minor" in their spoken name, it may refer to some note other than the m3, such as a m9. The symbolic name only has "m" if there is a m3 in the chord.
  • If the chord has a m3 and d5, the chord is considered diminished, and may be marked with "dim", "ø", or "°" behind the root note name. This replaces the "m" indicating the m3.
  • If the chord has an A5, it is augmented, indicated by a "+" or "aug" behind the root note name.
  • If the chord features notes beyond the basic R/3/5 triad, it is indicated with a number. The extended notes follow the pattern of including every other note, with the number indicating the last note in that chain. "7" indicates the basic triad plus the 7th, while "13" indicates the basic triad plus the 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th. In practice, 11ths and 13ths rarely include all the notes in the chord they imply; however, the 7th is a key note that is almost always included. This distinguishes a 9th chord from an add9 chord.
  • If the chord omits the 3rd and includes a 2nd or 4th in its place, it is considered suspended. This is indicated with "sus" and then either "2" or "4" depending on whether the chord has the 2nd or 4th.
  • If the chord includes a note outside of the basic triad but does not include a 7th, this is indicated with "add" then the scale degree of the added note. This is typically the 2nd/9th - "add9".
  • If the chord has a "/" followed by a note name at the end, this indicates an inversion, using the specified note as the bass note. Inversions can also be written by indicating the intervals of the notes above the bass note (C/E = E63); however, this notation is rarely used in modern writing.
  • Sometimes a power chord will be written as "Root5" (ex. G5). This technically isn't even a chord, but chord charts and chord symbols often write it in place of chords.

This is enough to specify most chords; however, it cannot represent a number of chords typically found in Jazz. Additional symbols are used to alter the chord after its basic structure is established. These take the form of ♯/+ or ♭/- then a number. The number indicates the member note of the chord by its interval against the root. "♯" or "+" indicates to sharp that note a half-step, while "♭" or "-" indicates to flat the note by a half-step. (Jazz typically favors using "+" and "-" over "♯" and "♭", but their meaning is identical.) For example, Cm7♭5 (or Cm7-5 means to take Cm7, which consists of (R m3 P5 m7) and flat the P5 to a d5, giving us (R m3 d5 m7).

If the note was not already part of the indicated chord, this means to add that note into the chord. Our "baseline" version of the note is the one from the major scale (R M2 M3 P4 P5 M6 M7), but we are only really adding 9ths (2nds), 11ths (4ths), and 13ths (6ths) - the other notes are guaranteed to already be part of the chord. So our baselines are M2, P4, and M6. For example, C7♭9 indicates the C7 (R M3 P5 m7) but adds a flatted M9 (m2) into the chord (R M3 P5 m7 m9).

In addition to representing chords that could not otherwise by indicated, this chord alteration notation allows us to represent known chords in perhaps less ambiguous or more easily communicated symbols. For example, ø is not a standard keyboard character, but Cø7 can be written as Cm7♭5.

+ Chord Names/Notes/Spelling, X = Root Note Name
Family Name(s) Notes Spelling R m2 M2 m3 M3 P4 tt P5 m6 M6 m7 M7
Triads Major R M3 P5 X R M3 P5
Minor R m3 P5 Xm R m3 P5
Augmented R M3 A5 X+
Xaug 		R M3 A5
Diminished R m3 d5 X°
Xdim
Xm-5
Xm♭5 		R m3 d5
Suspensions Suspended 2nd R M2 P5 Xsus2 R M2 P5
Suspended 4th R M4 P5 Xsus4 R P4 P5
Sixths Major 6th R M3 P5 M6 X6 R M3 P5 M6
Minor 6th R m3 P5 M6 Xm6 R m3 P5 M6
Sevenths Dominant 7th R M3 P5 m7 X7 R M3 P5 m7
Minor 7th R m3 P5 m7 Xm7 R m3 P5 m7
Major 7th R M3 P5 m7 Xmaj7
XΔ7 		R M3 P5 M7
Minor/Major 7th R m3 P5 M7 Xm maj7
XmΔ7
Xmaj7♭3
XΔ7♭3 		R m3 P5 M7
Fully Diminished R m3 d5 d7 X°7
Xdim7 		R m3 d5 d7
Half Diminished R m3 d5 m7 Xø
Xø7
Xm7♭5
Xm7-5 		R m3 d5 m7
Ninths Dominant 9th R M3 P5 m7 M9 X9 R M9 M3 P5 m7
Minor 9th R m3 P5 m7 M9 Xm9 R M9 m3 P5 m7
Dominant Minor 9th R M3 P5 m7 m9 X7♭9
X7-9 		R m9 M3 P5 m7
Major 9th R M3 P5 M7 M9 Xmaj9
XΔ9 		R M9 M3 P5 M7
Augmented 9th
(Hendrix Chord) 		R M3 P5 m7 A9 X7+9
X7♯9 		R A9 M3 P5 m7
6/9 R M3 P5 M6 M9 X9♭7
X9-7 		R M9 M3 P5 M6
Major Add 9 R M3 P5 M9 X add9 R M9 M3 P5
Minor Add 9 R m3 P5 M9 Xm add9 R M9 m3 P5
Elevenths Diatonic 11th R [M3] P5 M7 M9 P11 Xmaj9sus4
XΔ9sus4 		R M9 P11 P5 M7
Diatonic 11th (no 5th) R [M3] [P5] M7 M9 P11 Ydim/X
Y°/X
where Y = ♭X 		R M9 P11 M7
Dominant 11th R [M3] P5 m7 M9 P11 X11 R M9 P11 P5 m7
Dominant ♯11th
(Jazz 11th) 		R M3 P5 m7 M9 A11 X9+11
X9♯11 		R M9 M3 A11 P5 m7
Dominant ♯11th
(Jazz 11th) (no 5th) 		R M3 [P5] m7 M9 A11 X9♭5
X9-5 		R M9 M3 A11 m7
Minor 11th R m3 P5 m7 M9 P11 Xm11 R M9 m3 P11 P5 m7
Major 11th R M3 P5 M7 M9 A11 Xmaj11
XΔ11 		R M9 M3 A11 P5 M7
Thirteenths Dominant 13th R M3 P5 m7 M9 [P11] M13 X13 R M9 M3 P5 M13 m7
Minor 13th R m3 P5 m7 M9 P11 M13 Xm13 R M9 m3 P11 P5 M13 m7
Major 13th R M3 P5 M7 M9 [P11] M13 Xmaj13
XΔ13 		R M9 M3 P5 M13 M7
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