Common chord types shown in C. Transpose to any key by shifting all notes the same interval.
Bright, happy sound. The foundation of Western harmony.
Sad, melancholic sound. Lowered third creates the minor quality.
Tense, unstable sound. Often resolves to a nearby chord.
Mysterious, unresolved sound. Symmetrical - divides octave into 3 equal parts.
Rich, jazzy sound. The major 7th adds warmth and sophistication.
Bluesy, wants to resolve. The backbone of blues and jazz.
Smooth, mellow sound. Common in jazz and R&B.
Dramatic, film noir sound. Minor triad with major 7th.
Also called minor 7 flat 5. Common in jazz ii-V-I progressions in minor.
Highly unstable, symmetrical. Divides octave into 4 equal parts.
Warm, vintage sound. Popular in jazz standards and early pop.
Bittersweet quality. The major 6th against minor third creates tension.
Lush, sophisticated. Adds the 9th (2nd) to major 7th chord.
Full, funky sound. Essential in funk, soul, and jazz.
Smooth and soulful. Popular in neo-soul and R&B.
Very rich, sometimes the 3rd is omitted to avoid dissonance with 11th.
Full, gospel sound. The 3rd is often omitted.
Maximum richness. Often voiced without the 11th.
Rich, jazzy. Common ending chord in jazz. The 11th is usually omitted.
Major triad plus the 9th. No 7th. Bright and open.
Major triad plus the 11th. Creates tension between 3rd and 11th.
Open, modern sound. The 2nd replaces the 3rd.
Tension that wants to resolve to major. The 4th replaces the 3rd.
Gospel, soul sound. Dominant 7th with suspended 4th.
Augmented dominant. Tense, wants to resolve.
Tritone substitution chord. Unstable, jazzy.
The 'Hendrix chord'. Gritty, bluesy, rock sound.
Dark, dramatic tension. Common in jazz and flamenco.
To transpose to another key, move all notes up or down by the same number of half steps. For example, to play these chords in G, move everything up 7 half steps (or down 5).
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