Chord Types Chart printable pdf download

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C C h h o o r r d d T T y y p p e e s s

Chords are named according to their root

note and the intervals between the notes

that make them up. Most chords fall into

Intervals

six types: major, minor, dominant, dimin-

ished, augmented, and suspended.

Root

>5 6

Octave

M M a a j j o o r r C C h h o o r r d d

C major

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A triad chord made up notes that are a

m m a a j j o o r r t t h h i i r r d d (3rd) and a p p e e r r f f e e c c t t f f i i f f t t h h (5th)

C maj7

interval from the root is called a major

Major

chord. If another note is added to the

C maj6

triad and that note is a major seventh in-

C maj7<5

terval from the root, the chord is called a

major seventh. Alternately, if another

C maj7>5

note is added to the triad and it is a sixth

interval from the root, that chord is called

a major sixth chord.

Cmin

Cmin7

M M i i n n o o r r C C h h o o r r d d

Minor

A triad chord made up of a m m i i n n o o r r t t h h i i r r d d

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Cmin6

(<3rd) and p p e e r r f f e e c c t t f f i i f f t t h h (5th) interval from

the root is called a minor chord. If an-

Cmin-maj7

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other note is added to the triad and that

note is a minor seventh (<7th) interval

from the root, the chord is called a minor

Dominant

seventh. Alternately, if another note is

C7<5

added to the triad and it is a sixth interval

from the root, that chord is called a minor

sixth chord.

Cdim

D D o o m m i i n n a a n n t t C C h h o o r r d d

Diminished

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Cdim7

When fourth note is added to a m m a a j j o o r r

C]7

c c h h o o r r d d and that note is a m m i i n n o o r r s s e e v v e e n n t t h h

(<7th) interval, the resulting four-note

chord is called a dominant seventh.

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Caug

Augmented

D D i i m m i i n n i i s s h h e e d d C C h h o o r r d d

Caug7

A triad chord made up of a m m i i n n o o r r t t h h i i r r d d

(<3rd) and a d d i i m m i i n n i i s s h h e e d d f f i i f f t t h h (<5th) inter-

Csus

val is called diminished. If a fourth note is

Suspended

added and that note is a perfect sixth

Csus7

(sometimes called a double-flatted 7th —

<<7) interval, the chord is called a dimin-

ished seventh. Alternately, if that fourth

Major 3rd Perfect 5th

Major 7th

note is a minor seventh, the chord is

called half-diminished seventh.

]

The symbol for half-diminished is

Example: G]7 = Gm7<5

A A u u g g m m e e n n t t e e d d C C h h o o r r d d

A triad chord made up of a m m a a j j o o r r t t h h i i r r d d

(3rd) and an a a u u g g m m e e n n t t e e d d f f i i f f t t h h (>5th) interval is called augmented. If a fourth note is added

and that note is a minor seventh interval, the chord is called an augmented seventh.

S S u u s s p p e e n n d d e e d d C C h h o o r r d d

A triad made up of a p p e e r r f f e e c c t t f f o o u u r r t t h h (>4th or <5th) and a p p e e r r f f e e c c t t f f i i f f t t h h (5th) interval is called a

suspended chord. If another note is added to the triad and that note is a minor seventh in-

terval from the root, the chord is called a suspended seventh.

Chord Types Chart

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