Chords Names and Symbols

7/22/2019 Chords Names and Symbols

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Chord names and symbols (popular music) 1

Chord names and symbols (popular music)

C7

, or major seventh chord on C Play.

Various kinds of chord names and symbols are used 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. major, maj, or M).

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 13 or add13), 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.

Except for the root, these parts do not refer to the notes which form the chord, but to the intervals they form with

respect to the root. 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, these names and symbols are "universally used in jazz and

popular music",[1] usually inside lead sheets, fake books, and chord charts, to specify the harmony of compositions.

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, a shorthand which describes the harmonic characteristics of chords is used in pop

music and jazz. This notation has an advantage of being more easily expressed in plain text and in handwriting than

the relatively complicated process of writing chords on a staff. It is also faster to read.

The first part of a symbol for a chord defines the root of the chord. The root of the chord will always be played by

one of the instruments in the ensemble (usually by a bass instrument) failure to include the root means that the

indicated chord is not being played. 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 to be presented

following here, 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 6 possible permutations of triads
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(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 will strike most musicians as odd. In fact, this turns out to be the same as

F/A (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 will indicate therequired chord in a footnote or in the header of the music.

Chord quality

Chord qualities are related with the qualities of the component intervals which 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: m, or min for minor,

M, maj, or no symbol (see rule 2 below) for major,

aug for augmented,

dim for diminished.

In addition, however,

is sometimes used for major,[4] 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),

, or is used for half diminished,

dom is 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.

Major, minor, augmented, and diminished chords3-note chords are called triads. There are four basic triads (major, minor, augmented, diminished). They are all

tertian, which means defined by the root, a third interval, and a fifth interval. Since most other chords are obtained

by adding one or more notes to these triads, the name and symbol of a chord is often built by just adding an interval

number to the name and symbol of a triad. For instance, a C augmented seventh chord is a C augmented triad with an

extra note defined by a minor seventh interval:

C+7 = C+ + m7

augmentedchord augmentedtriad minor

interval

In this case, the quality (minor, in the example) of the additional interval is omitted. Less often, the full name or

symbol of the additional interval is provided. For instance, a C augmented major seventh chord is a C augmented
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triad with an extra note defined by a major seventh interval:

C+M7 = C+ + M7

augmentedchord augmentedtriad major

interval

In both cases, the quality of the chord is the same as the quality of the basic triad it contains. This is not true for all

chord qualities, as the chord qualities "half-diminished", and "dominant" refer not only to the quality of the basic

triad, but also to the quality of the additional intervals.

Altered fifths

A more complex approach is sometimes used to name and denote augmented and diminished chords. An augmented

triad can be viewed as a major triad in which the perfect fifth interval (spanning 7 semitones) has been substituted

with an augmented fifth (8 semitones), and a diminished triad as a minor triad in which the perfect fifth has been

substituted with a diminished fifth (6 semitones). In this case, the augmented triad can be named major triad sharp

five, or major triad augmented fifth (M5, M+5, majaug5). Similarly, the diminished triad can be named minor triad

flat five, or minor triad diminished fifth (m5, m5, mindim5).

Again, the terminology and notation used for triads affects the terminology and notation used for larger chords,

formed by four or more notes. For instance, the above mentioned C augmented major seventh chord, is sometimes

called C major seventh sharp five, or C major seventh augmented fifth. The corresponding symbol is CM7+5

, CM75

,

or Cmaj7aug5:

CM7+5 = C + M3 + A5 + M7

augmentedchord chord

root

major

interval

augmentedinterval major

interval

(In chord symbols, the symbol A, used for augmented intervals, is typically replaced by + or )

In this case, the chord is viewed as a C major seventh chord (CM7) in which the third note is an augmented fifth

from root (G), rather than a perfect fifth from root (G). All chord names and symbols including altered fifths, i.e.

augmented (5, +5, aug5) or diminished (5, 5, dim5) fifths can be interpreted in a similar way.

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 which define the

chord. The missing information is implied and must be deduced according to some conventional rules:

1.1. 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. The same is true for the corresponding symbols (e.g., Cm means Cm3, and C+ means C+5). Thus, the

terms third and fifth and the corresponding symbols 3 and 5 are typically omitted.

This rule can be generalized to all kinds of chords,[5]

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 intervalis specified immediately after chord quality, the quality of that interval may coincide with chord quality (e.g.
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CM7 = CM/M7). However, this is not always true (e.g. Cm6 = Cm/M6, C+7 = C+/m7, CM11 = CM/P11).[5]

See specific rules below for further details.

2.2. 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 firstspecific rule below).

3.3. Specific rules

When the fifth interval is diminished, the third must be minor.[6] 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 which contain 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 = Cadd6) and

contains, together with the implied major triad, an extra major 2nd, perfect 4th, or major 6th (see below).

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).

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),

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. Co7 means Co/o7),

, or half-diminished stands for diminished-minor(e.g. C7 means Co/m7).

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. Thesame 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.
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Chord Symbol Analysis of symbol parts Component intervals Notes Chord name

Short Long Root Third Fifth Added Third Fifth Added

C C maj3 perf5 C-E-G Major triad

CM[7]

Cmaj[7] 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

Co Cdim C dim min3 dim5 C-E-G Diminished triad

C6 C 6 maj3 perf5 maj6 C-E-G-A Major sixth chord

CM6[7]

Cmaj6[7] 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

Co7

Cdim7 C dim 7 min3 dim5 dim7 C-E-G-B Diminished seventh chord

C C dim min3 dim5 min7 C-E-G-B Half-diminished seventh chord

C7

C dim 7 min3 dim5 min7

CmM7

Cm/M7

Cm(M7)

Cm(maj7)

Cminmaj7

Cmin/maj7

Cmin(maj7)

C min maj7 min3 perf5 maj7 C-E-G-B Minor-major seventh chord

Intervals

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

root. The following table shows the labels given to these intervals and the respective notes for each of the twelve

keys. As explained above, chord notation provides a shorthand for intervals, not actual notes. This table provides a

mapping of intervals to actual notes to play.

Chord

root

Unison Minor

second

Major

second

Minor

third

Major

third

Perfect

fourth

Tritone Perfect

fifth

Minor

sixth

Major

sixth

Minor

seventh

Major

seventh

F F G G A A B B / C C D D E E

C C D D E E F F / G G A A B B

G G A A B B C C / D D E E F F

D D E E F F G G / A A B B C C

A A B B C C D D / E E F F G G

E E F F G G A A / B B C C D D

B B C C D D E E / F F G G A A

F F G G A A B B / C C D D E E

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C C D D E E F F / G G A A B B





E E F F G G A A / B B C C D D


B B C C D D E E / F F G G A A

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).

Name Symbols Definitions

Short Long Altered

fifth

Component intervals Integers Notes

Third Fifth

Major triadC

CM[7]

C[4]

Cmaj[7] major perfect {0, 4, 7} C-E-G

Minor triad Cm

C

Cmin minor perfect {0, 3, 7} C-E-G

Augmented triad

(major triad sharp five)

C+ CaugCM

5

CM+5

major augmented {0, 4, 8} C-E-G

Diminished triad

(minor triad flat five)

C CdimCm

5

Cm5

minor diminished {0, 3, 6} C-E-G

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).

The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for the various kinds of seventh chords (using C as root).
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominant_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominant_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_triadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_sixthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Enharmonically_equivalenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diminished_seventhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_seventhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_seventhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diminished_triadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augmented_triadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_triadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_triadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fifth_%28music%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Notehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pitch_class%23Integer_notationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interval_%28music%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diminished_fifthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diminished_triad_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diminished_triad_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Perfect_fifthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augmented_fifthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augmented_triadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Semitonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:DoubleSharp.svg


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Name Symbols Definitions

Short Long Altered

fifth

Component intervals Integers Notes

Third Fifth Seventh

Seventh

(dominant seventh)C

7Cdom

7 major perfect minor {0, 4, 7, 10} C-E-G-B

Major seventhCM

7CMa

7

Cj7

C7

C[4]

Cmaj7 major perfect major {0, 4, 7, 11} C-E-G-B

Minor-major seventhCm

M7

Cm7

CM7

C7

C

Cminmaj7 minor perfect major {0, 3, 7, 11} C-E-G-B

Minor seventhCm

7

C-7

Cmin7 minor perfect minor {0, 3, 7, 10} C-E-G-B

Augmented-major seventh

(major seventh sharp five)C+

M7

C+

Caugmaj7

CM75

/

CM7+5

C5

/ C+5

major augmented major {0, 4, 8, 11} C-E-G-B

Augmented seventh

(dominant seventh sharp five)C+

7Caug

7C7

5/ C7

+5 major augmented minor {0, 4, 8, 10} C-E-G-B

Half-diminished seventh

(minor seventh flat five)C

/ C

7

C/ C

7

Cmin7dim5

Cm75

/ Cm75

C75

/ C75

minor diminished minor {0, 3, 6, 10} C-E-G-B

Diminished seventhC

o7

C7

Cdim7 minor diminished diminished {0, 3, 6, 9} C-E-G-B

Seventh flat five

(dominant seventh flat five)C

75Cdom

7dim5 major diminished minor {0, 4, 6, 10} C-E-G-B

Many possible format variations are possible. The superscripts may be also written as ordinary font, sometimes

separated by a slash from the preceding parts of the symbol, or written within parentheses. For instance:

CM7

may be written CM7

CmM7 may be written as CmM7, Cm/M7, or Cm(M7).

Except for the root, all the other parts of the symbols may be superscripted. For instance:

CM7 may be written CM7

CM75

may be written CM75

, or CM75

.

Some 7th chords can be considered as triad chords with alternate bass. Examples:

Cm7 = C-E-G-B = E/C

Cmaj7 = C-E-G-B = Em/C
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alternate_basshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parentheseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slash_notationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Superscripthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominant_seventh_flat_five_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diminished_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Half-diminished_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augmented_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Augmented_major_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_major_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Major_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominant_seventh_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_seventhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fifth_%28music%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Notehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pitch_class%23Integer_notationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interval_%28music%29


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Extended chords

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 stackeda 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 6thexcept 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)

Name Symbol Quality

of

added 9th

Notes

Short Long

(Major) 9thCM

9/ C

9Cmaj

9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Dominant 9th C9 Cdom9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Minor Major 9thCm

M9/ C

M9Cmin

maj9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Minor Dominant 9thCm

9/ C

9Cmin

9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Augmented Major 9thC+

M9Caug

maj9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Augmented Dominant 9thC+

9/ C

95Caug

9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Half-Diminished 9thC

9 Major C-E-G-B-D

Half-Diminished Minor 9thC

9 Minor C-E-G-B-D

Diminished 9thC

9Cdim

9 Major C-E-G-B -D

Diminished Minor 9thC

9Cdim

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 (suspended 9th chord; Aiken

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:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Suspended_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Avoid_notehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Notehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interval_%28music%29%23Qualityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Added_tone_chordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Enharmonically_equivalenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chord_%28music%29%23Secundal%2C_tertian%2C_and_quartal_chordshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Extended_chords


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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)

Name Symbol Quality of

added 11th

Notes

Short Long

11th

(dominant 11th)C

11Cdom

11 Perfect C-E-G-B-D-F

Major 11thCM

11Cmaj


Minor-Major 11thCm

M11/ C

M11Cmin

maj11 Perfect C-E-G-B-D-F

Minor 11th Cm11

/ C11

Cmin11 Perfect C-E-G-B-D-F

Augmented-Major 11thC+

M11Caug

maj11 Perfect C-E-G-B-D-F

Augmented 11thC+

11/ C

115Caug




Diminished 11thC

11Cdim

11 Diminished C-E-G-B -D-F

Alterations from the natural diatonic chords can be specified as C911 ... etc. Omission of the 5th in a sharped 11th

chord reduces its sound to a flat-five chord. (Aiken 2004, p. 94):

C911 = C-E-(G)-B-D-F C-E-G-B-D = C95

13ths

These are theoretically 11th chords with the 6th note in the scale added. Again it is common to leave certain notes

out. After the 5th, the most commonly omitted note is the troublesome 11th (4th). The 9th (2nd) can also be omitted.

A very common voicing on guitar for a 13th chord, for example, is just the root, 7th, 3rd and 13th (6th). For

example: C-E-(G)-B-(D)-(F)-A = C-E-A-B-(D)-(F) - on the piano it is usually voiced C-Bb-E-A.

The table below shows names, symbols, and definitions for some of thirteenth chords (using C as root)

Name Symbol Quality of

added 13th

Notes

Short Long

Major 13thCM

13/ C

13Cmaj

13 Major C-E-G-B-D-F-A

Dominant 13thC

13Cdom


Minor Major 13thCm

M13/ C

M13Cmin

maj13 Major C-E-G-B-D-F-A

Minor Dominant 13thCm

13/ C

13Cmin


Augmented Major 13thC+

M13Caug

maj13 Major C-E-G-B-D-F-A

Augmented Dominant 13thC+

13/ C

135Caug



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Alterations from the natural diatonic chords can be specified as C1113 ... etc.

Added tone chords

An important characteristic of jazz is the extensive use of sevenths. The combination of 9th (2nd), 11th (4th) and

13th (6th) notes with 7ths in a chord give jazz chord voicing 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. 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:

Cadd9

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:

C7add9

C7add2

C7/9

Generally however the above will be 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:

C7add13

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 extendednotes 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. C7(10)

indicating the Hendrix chord of C-E-E-G-B).

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.
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Suspended Chords

A suspended chord is a triad where the 3rd is replacedby another note. In practice the 3rd is replaced either by the

4th or the 2nd. These chords "desire" to resolve into a normal triad. Suspended chords are notated with the symbols

"sus4" or "sus2". Where "sus" is found on its own, the suspended fourth chord is implied. This can be combined with

any other notation. So for example:

Csus9

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.

Power "chords"

Though power chords are not true chords per se, they 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 asfifth

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 similarlysized 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.

In the event that an extended neutral chord is to be played, 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 C7no3.

Inversions

In addition to all of the ways ofbuilding 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 majorand the C dominant seventh chords. Refer to the tables below for a list of inversions.

C major chord

Root Position First Inversion Second Inversion

Notes CEG EGC GCE

Short notation C C/E C/G

C dominant seventh chord

Root Position First Inversion

Notes CEGB BCEG

Short notation C7 C7/B

The notation C/E indicates a C major chord, but with an E in the bass. Likewise the notation C/G indicates that a C

major chord is played with a G in the bass.

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

Upper structures

Those are notated in a similar manner to inversions, except that the bass note is not necessarily a chord tone.

Examples:

C/A (A C E G), equivalent to A75;

C/E (E G C F);

Am/D (D A C E).

Chord notation in jazz usually leaves a certain amount of freedom to the player as for voicing chords, also adding

tensions at the player's discretion. Therefore, upper structures are most useful when the composer wishes for a

specific tension array to be played. Example:

C/E | C/A E/A | D/E G75/A | Eadd 2/D D79/G | Am7/C ||

produces a certain coloration of the following chord progression:

E7 | Am7 A7 | Em7 A7 | D G7 | C ||

These are also commonly referred as "slash chords." A slash chord is simply a chord placed on top of a different bass

note; for example:

D/F# is a D chord with F# in the bass;

A/C# is an A chord with C# in the bass.

Slash chords generally do not indicate a simple inversion (which is usually left to the player's discretion anyway),

especially considering that the requested bass note may not be part of the chord to be played on top. The requested

bass note may be played instead of or in addition to the chord's usual root note, though the root note, when played, is

likely to be played only in a higher octave to avoid "colliding" with the new bass note.

PolychordsPolychords, as the name suggests, are combinations of two or more chords. The most commonly found form of a

polychord is a bi-chord (two chords played simultaneously) and is written as follows: (example: (C E

G B D F)). In case a very specific voicing is needed, the individual chords can be written in their desired

inversions, for example: (C G E G B E).

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 chordsymbol 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.

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).

A right slash surrounded by two dots reminiscent of a percent sign % [illustration needed] in an otherwise empty

measure indicates that the chord or chords of the previous measure are to be repeated. It can be reused over many

consecutive measures. It is used to simplify the job of both the reader (who can quickly scan ahead to the next chord

change) and the copyist (who doesn't need to write out the full chord symbols repeatedly).
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The chord notation N.C. is used to indicate no chord is to be played. The duration of this symbol follows the same

rules as a regular chord symbol.

Summary

Since the rules to decode chord notation are complex, a short article would not be sufficient to describe them clearly

and exhaustively. As a consequence, this article is relatively long and not easy to decipher at a glance. This section is

included as a brief summary of one of the notations described, aimed more at the performer's perspective, rather than

that of the composer or theorist.

As shown above, the symbol Cminmaj13

indicates a chord whose root is C, with each of the odd-numbered intervals,

up to the one indicated (13th in this case) placed above it. Namely, the chord is defined by the following

odd-numbered intervals:

Minor third (C-E)

Perfect fifth (C-G)

Major seventh (C-B)

Major ninth (C-D)

Perfect eleventh (C-F)

Major thirteenth (C-A)

Notice that all the intervals are major or perfect, except for the third which is minor, as specified by min in the

symbol. By comparing other chord symbols to Cminmaj13

, with the following set of rules it is possible to decode

several other chord symbols:

When the interval name (maj13) is omitted, it is understood to be a 5th, which implies that the chord is a triad.

When the interval quality (maj) is omitted, it causes the 7th (if present) to be flattened (from major to minor)

When the chord quality (min) is omitted, the 3rd is assumed to be major

When the chord quality is min (as in the example above), the 3rd is flattened (from major to minor)

When the chord quality is aug, the 5th is sharpened (from perfect to augmented) When the chord quality is dim, each of the intervals is flattened

When the chord quality is sus or sus4, the 3rd is sharpened (from major to augmented, equivalent to a perfect 4th)

When the chord quality is sus2 the 3rd is double-flattened (from major to diminished, equivalent to a major 2nd)

For instance, Cdim9 indicates a chord whose root is C, with a flattened 3rd, a flattened 5th, a double-flattened 7th

(flattened once by the presence ofdim, and flattened again by the omission of the maj) and a flattened 9th.

When a small even number is used as the main interval: 2 is equivalent to 9, 4 is equivalent to 11, and 6 is equivalent

to 13; but with the omission of the 7th, possibly implied in each case; and when the number is explicitly stated as a 5,

it implies the omission of the 3rd.

In the vast majority of cases, though, none of this complexity is involved. A typical piece of music might stipulatechords like C, F, Amin, and G7, giving (according to the summary above) two major triads, a minor triad, and an

extended chord of four notes.
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Notes

[1] Benward & Saker (2003).Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p. 78. Seventh Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.

[2] Benward & Saker (2003).Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p. 77. Seventh Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.

[3] Arnold Schoenberg, Structural Functions of Harmony, Faber and Faber, 1983, p.1-2.

[4][4] The symbol is ambiguous, as it is used by some as a synonym for M (e.g. C=CM and C7=CM7), and by others as a synonym of M7

(e.g. C=CM7).

[5] General rule 1 achieves consistency in the interpretation of symbols such as CM7, Cm6, and C+7. Some musicians legitimately prefer tothink that, in CM7, M refers to the seventh, rather than to the third. This alternative approach is legitimate, as both the third and seventh are

major, yet it is inconsistent, as a similar interpretation is impossible for Cm6 and C+7 (in Cm6, m cannot possibly refer to the sixth, which is

major by definition, and in C+7, + cannot refer to the seventh, which is minor). Both approaches reveal only one of the intervals (M3 or M7),

and require other rules to complete the task. Whatever is the decoding method, the result is the same (e.g., CM7 is always conventionally

decoded as C-E-G-B, implying M3, P5, M7). The advantage of rule 1 is that it has no exceptions, which makes it the simplest possible

approach to decode chord quality.

According to the two approaches, some may format CM7 as CM7

(general rule 1: M refers to M3), and others as CM7

(alternative approach: M

refers to M7). Fortunately, even CM7

becomes compatible with rule 1 if it is considered an abbreviation of CMM7

, in which the first M is

omitted. The omitted M is the quality of the third, and is deduced according to rule 2 (see above), consistently with the interpretation of the

plain symbol C, which by the same rule stands for CM.

[6] All triads are tertian chords (chords defined by sequences of thirds), and a major third would produce in this case a non-tertian chord.

Namely, the diminished fifth spans 6 semitones from root, thus it may be decomposed into a sequence of two minor thirds, each spanning 3

semitones (m3 + m3), compatible with the definition of tertian chord. If a major third were used (4 semitones), this would entail a sequence

containing a major second (M3 + M2 = 4 + 2 semitones = 6 semitones), which would not meet the definition of tertian chord.

[7][7] Rarely used symbol. A shorter symbol exists, and is used more frequently.

References

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. Cited in

Benward & Saker (2003), p. 76.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_thirdhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chord_%28music%29%23Secundal%2C_tertian%2C_and_quartal_chords


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Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsImage:Major seventh chord on C.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Major_seventh_chord_on_C.png License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors:

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File:Doubleflat.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Doubleflat.svg License: Public Domain Contributors: Aotake, Spiritia

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