Chords
Chord tones on the fretboard, blocked or arpeggiated, through the inversions — curated grip shapes come later, and the page says which is which.
Triads
- Major triadRoot, third and fifth stacked from the major scale — the bright, stable chord most songs call home.
- Minor triadLower the middle note of a major triad by one semitone and the chord turns darker and more wistful.
- Diminished triadTwo minor thirds stacked, shrinking the fifth — a tense, unstable chord that wants to resolve.
- Augmented triadTwo major thirds stacked, stretching the fifth — a dreamlike, unsettled chord that seems to float upward.
- Power chord (5)Root and fifth, no third - so it is neither major nor minor. The sound of every distorted rock guitar.
Sixths & sevenths
- Major sixth (6)A major triad with the sixth added on top — warm, settled, and a little vintage.
- Minor sixth (m6)A minor triad plus a sixth — the added sixth is major by convention even over a minor chord, giving a bittersweet, film-noir colour.
- Dominant seventh (7)A major triad plus a minor seventh — the restless chord built on the fifth degree of the scale, always pulling home.
- Major seventh (maj7)A major triad plus a major seventh — lush and dreamy, the sound of countless ballads and bossa novas.
- Minor seventh (m7)A minor triad plus a minor seventh — mellow and rounded, the workhorse chord of soul, jazz and pop.
- Minor-major seventh (mMaj7)A minor triad with a major seventh on top — mysterious and cinematic, straight out of harmonic minor.
- Half-diminished seventh (m7♭5)A diminished triad with a minor seventh — a softer shade of diminished, at home as the two chord in minor keys.
- Diminished seventh (dim7)Four notes each a minor third apart — maximum tension, spelled with a double-flat seventh, and able to resolve in four different directions.
Extended
- Dominant ninth (9)A dominant seventh with the ninth stacked on top — the same pull home as a 7 chord, but bigger and bluesier.
- Major ninth (maj9)A major seventh chord with the ninth added — even more open and shimmering than maj7.
- Minor ninth (m9)A minor seventh chord with the ninth added — smooth and rich, the classic neo-soul piano sound.
- Dominant eleventh (11)A dominant chord stacked up to the eleventh; the third is left out by convention because it clashes with the eleventh, so it sounds like a big 9sus4.
- Dominant thirteenth (13)A dominant chord stacked up to the thirteenth; by convention the eleventh is omitted (it clashes with the third), and players usually drop the fifth as well.
- Major thirteenth (maj13)A major ninth with the thirteenth on top - lush and resolved, the sound of a warm final chord.
- Minor eleventh (m11)A minor ninth with the eleventh stacked on: open, modal and unhurried - the So What sound.
- Minor thirteenth (m13)A minor ninth topped with the natural thirteenth - the bright, hopeful minor of soul.
- Major seventh sharp 11 (maj7#11)A major seventh with a raised eleventh - the lydian colour: floating, filmic, unresolved on purpose.
- Six-nine (6/9)A major triad with the sixth and ninth added and no seventh - the classic clean ending chord.
- Minor six-nine (m6/9)The minor answer to 6/9 - smooth and cool rather than sad, a favourite final minor chord.
Altered
- Dominant 7 flat 9 (7b9)A dominant seventh with the ninth flattened - tense and Spanish-sounding, pulling hard to a minor chord.
- Dominant 7 sharp 9 (7#9)Major third and flattened third at once - the crunch behind Purple Haze and a thousand funk riffs.
- Dominant 7 flat 5 (7b5)A dominant seventh with the fifth flattened - the same four notes a tritone away, so it can resolve two ways.
- Dominant 7 sharp 5 (7#5)An augmented triad with a flat seventh - restless, unsettled, and desperate to resolve.
- Dominant 7 sharp 9 sharp 5 (7#9#5)Both alterations at once - the fully altered dominant, maximum tension before the release.
- Dominant 13 flat 9 (13b9)A thirteenth with a flattened ninth - sweet on top, sour underneath. Pure big-band dominant.
Suspended & added
- Suspended second (sus2)The third is replaced by the second — neither major nor minor, just open and airy.
- Suspended fourth (sus4)The third is replaced by the fourth — a suspended, unresolved sound that loves to fall back onto the plain triad.
- Seventh suspended fourth (7sus4)A dominant seventh with the fourth in place of the third — suspended tension without committing to major or minor.
- Added ninth (add9)A plain major triad with the ninth added and no seventh — sparkle without the jazz.
- Minor added ninth (m(add9))A minor triad with the ninth added and no seventh — poignant and modern, a staple of film and pop piano.
Voicings
- Shell voicing: dominant seventh, 1-3-7Just the root, third and seventh of a dominant seventh — the fifth is dropped, leaving the leanest possible version of the chord.
- Shell voicing: dominant seventh, 1-7-3The same three essential tones with the seventh below and the third on top (a tenth above the root) — the partner shell that makes smooth voice leading between chords easy.
- Shell voicing: major seventh, 1-3-7Root, third and major seventh with the fifth left out — all the maj7 colour from just three notes.
- Shell voicing: major seventh, 1-7-3The maj7 shell flipped: seventh in the middle, third on top a tenth above the root — same chord, airier spread.
- Shell voicing: minor seventh, 1-3-7Root, minor third and minor seventh with the fifth left out — the compact m7 shell.
- Shell voicing: minor seventh, 1-7-3The m7 shell flipped: seventh in the middle, minor third on top a tenth above the root — the alternating shape for walking through ii-V-I changes.
- Major triad: close positionAll three notes packed as tightly as possible — the compact shape your hand learns first.
- Major triad: open (spread) positionThe same major triad with the third lifted an octave (root, fifth, tenth) — identical notes, a wider and fuller sound.
- Minor triad: close positionThe minor triad in its tightest spacing — root, third and fifth under one hand.
- Minor triad: open (spread) positionThe same minor triad spread out — third up an octave, so the chord rings with more space between the notes.
- Two-hand comp: dominant seventhLeft hand anchors root and seventh; right hand answers with the third and fifth above — a simple, full dominant seventh split across two hands.
- Two-hand comp: major seventhLeft hand plays root and major seventh; right hand adds the third and fifth above — the dreamy maj7 spread over both hands.
- Two-hand comp: minor seventhLeft hand holds root and seventh; right hand supplies the minor third and fifth above — the mellow m7 in a comfortable two-hand layout.
- Two-hand comp: minor-major seventhLeft hand states root and major seventh; right hand adds the minor third and fifth above — the film-score mMaj7 shared between the hands.
- Two-hand comp: half-diminished seventhLeft hand takes root and seventh; right hand adds the minor third and flat fifth above — the half-diminished colour with each hand doing one simple job.
- Two-hand comp: diminished seventhLeft hand takes root and the double-flat seventh; right hand stacks the minor third and flat fifth above — all four dim7 tones split evenly between the hands.
Guitar sound: FreePats project (CC0) · real recordings, per note