Chord Builder & Reference

Build chord voicings from a root and chord symbol.

Root note Chord type Spell with flats

Chord reference

Symbol	Name	Semitones	Notes
—	Major	0, 4, 7	Brightest triad — happy, stable.
m	Minor	0, 3, 7	Darker triad — sad or contemplative.
dim	Diminished	0, 3, 6	Two stacked minor thirds. Tense, unstable.
aug	Augmented	0, 4, 8	Two stacked major thirds. Symmetrical.
5	Power Chord (no 3rd)	0, 7	Root + 5th. Rock / metal staple, neutral quality.
sus2	Suspended 2nd	0, 2, 7	3rd replaced by 2nd.
sus4	Suspended 4th	0, 5, 7	3rd replaced by 4th.
7sus4	Dominant 7 sus4	0, 5, 7, 10	Dominant 7 with sus4 — funk / pop voicing.
6	Major 6th	0, 4, 7, 9	Major triad + 6th.
m6	Minor 6th	0, 3, 7, 9	Minor triad + 6th.
6/9	Six-Nine	0, 4, 7, 9, 14	Major 6 + 9 — lush jazz colour, no 7th.
7	Dominant 7th	0, 4, 7, 10	Major triad + minor 7th. Bluesy.
M7	Major 7th	0, 4, 7, 11	Major triad + major 7th. Jazzy.
m7	Minor 7th	0, 3, 7, 10	Minor triad + minor 7th.
mM7	Minor-Major 7th	0, 3, 7, 11	Minor triad + major 7th.
dim7	Diminished 7th	0, 3, 6, 9	Fully diminished — symmetric.
m7b5	Half-Diminished 7th	0, 3, 6, 10	Minor 7th with flat 5.
aug7	Augmented 7th	0, 4, 8, 10	Augmented triad + minor 7th.
7b5	Dominant 7 ♭5	0, 4, 6, 10	Dominant 7 with flat 5 — altered colour.
7#5	Dominant 7 ♯5	0, 4, 8, 10	Same notes as aug7 — common altered voicing.
add9	Add 9	0, 4, 7, 14	Major triad + 9th (no 7th).
madd9	Minor Add 9	0, 3, 7, 14	Minor triad + 9th (no 7th).
9	Dominant 9th	0, 4, 7, 10, 14	Dominant 7th + 9th.
M9	Major 9th	0, 4, 7, 11, 14	Major 7th + 9th.
m9	Minor 9th	0, 3, 7, 10, 14	Minor 7th + 9th.
7b9	Dominant 7 ♭9	0, 4, 7, 10, 13	Dominant with flat 9 — V7 in minor keys.
7#9	Dominant 7 ♯9	0, 4, 7, 10, 15	"Hendrix chord" — rock + jazz.
7#11	Dominant 7 ♯11	0, 4, 7, 10, 18	Dominant + sharp 11 — Lydian dominant.
M7#11	Major 7 ♯11	0, 4, 7, 11, 18	Lydian major — bright, modern.
11	Dominant 11th	0, 4, 7, 10, 14, 17	Dominant 9th + 11th.
m11	Minor 11th	0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17	Minor 9th + 11th — modal jazz.
13	Dominant 13th	0, 4, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21	Dominant 11th + 13th.
M13	Major 13th	0, 4, 7, 11, 14, 17, 21	Major 9th + 13th.
m13	Minor 13th	0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21	Minor 11th + 13th.
13b9	Dominant 13 ♭9	0, 4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 21	Altered dominant — strong V resolution.
alt	Altered Dominant (7♯5♯9)	0, 4, 8, 10, 15	Super-Locrian tensions — bebop V chord.

About this tool

Pick a root note and a chord type (major, minor, m7b5, sus2, dominant 9, etc.) and see the notes that make up the chord.