How to read and write chord symbols
A chord symbol such as Am7 tells you which notes sound together. Once you know how the parts of the name work, you can read any chart — and type it into Demo Track Maker, which plays exactly the notes listed below.
The parts of a chord name
- Root – the capital letter, with a sharp (#) or flat (b):
C,F#,Bb. The chord is built up from this note. - Major or minor – a letter alone is a major chord (root, major 3rd, 5th).
mmakes it minor (the 3rd is a half step lower). Major chords tend to sound bright, minor chords darker. - 7th –
7adds the minor 7th (in C: Bb); this is the “dominant seventh” that wants to resolve.M7/maj7/△7adds the major 7th (in C: B) and sounds soft and open. - Changes to the 5th –
b5lowers it,augor+raises it.dimis a minor 3rd with a lowered 5th;m7b5(alsoø) adds a minor 7th to that. - sus – the 3rd is replaced by the 4th (
sus4) or the 2nd (sus2). sus4 often moves back to the plain chord. - 6, add9 and tensions –
6adds the 6th,add9adds the 9th without a 7th,9means a 7th chord with the 9th. Altered tensions such as(b9)or(#9)are written in brackets. - Slash chords –
C/Eis a C chord with E as the lowest (bass) note. It is often used for smooth bass lines.
Common chord symbols and their notes
All examples use C as the root. For another root, move every note by the same distance.
| Symbol | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
C | C major | C E G |
Cm | C minor | C Eb G |
C7 | C seventh (dominant 7th) | C E G Bb |
CM7 | C major seventh (also Cmaj7, C△7) | C E G B |
Cm7 | C minor seventh | C Eb G Bb |
Cm7b5 | C minor seventh flat five (also Cø) | C Eb Gb Bb |
Cdim | C diminished | C Eb Gb |
Cdim7 | C diminished seventh | C Eb Gb Bbb |
Caug | C augmented (also C+) | C E G# |
Csus4 | C suspended fourth | C F G |
Csus2 | C suspended second | C D G |
C6 | C sixth | C E G A |
Cm6 | C minor sixth | C Eb G A |
Cadd9 | C add nine | C E G D |
C9 | C ninth | C E G Bb D |
C7(b9) | C seventh flat nine | C E G Bb Db |
C/E | C over E (C with E in the bass) | E (bass) C E G |
The notes are computed by the same code that Demo Track Maker uses to read chords. In the app, the bass and the piano's left hand play the root (or the bass note of a slash chord), and the right hand plays the chord in the position closest to the previous one, so it moves smoothly.
The chords of a key
In a major key, the chords built on each note of the scale follow the same pattern: major on I, IV and V, minor on II, III and VI, and m7b5 on VII. That is why so many songs in C use C, F, G and Am, and the same songs in G use G, C, D and Em.
| Key | I | IIm | IIIm | IV | V | VIm | VIIm7b5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C C E G | Dm D F A | Em E G B | F F A C | G G B D | Am A C E | Bm7b5 B D F A |
| G | G G B D | Am A C E | Bm B D F# | C C E G | D D F# A | Em E G B | F#m7b5 F# A C E |
The common chords of the keys of C and G, with their notes.
Writing a chart
- Write one bar between bar lines:
| C | Am | F | G |. - For two chords in a bar, write both:
| F G |means F for the first half and G for the second (in 4/4, beats 1 and 3). - Spell names the usual way:
Bbrather thanA#in flat keys. Both are understood by the app.
Paste a chart like this into Type as text… in the app, and the backing plays it right away.