On Practice: Chord Spelling
By Daniel Roest
Here is a handy reference chart for chords. Everything is based on a C Major scale and can be applied to all other keys. As you may know, the C scale is C-D-E-F-G-A B-C and follows the sequence of intervals (distances) of Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Whole Step, Half Step. As you also may know, a half step is one fret, a whole step is two frets. The last thing to know before looking at the chart is that each scale tone gets a number, in order. So, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 is C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. And you can keep going beyond the octave with 9 (D), 11 (F), 13 (A).
Here's the chart:
I
1, 3, 5 CC, E, G
1, 3, 5 CC, E, GI 7 1, 3, 5, b7 C7 C, E, G, Bb
1, 3, 5, b7 C7 C, E, G, BbI 9 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 C9 C, E, G, Bb, D
1, 3, 5, b7, 9 C9 C, E, G, Bb, DI 6 1, 3, 5, 6 C6 C. E. G. A
1, 3, 5, 6 C6 C. E. G. AI 13 1. 3. 5. b7, 9, 13C13 C, E, G, Bb, D, A
1. 3. 5. b7, 9, 13C13 C, E, G, Bb, D, AI 7b5 1, 3, b5, b7C7b5 C, E, Gb, Bb
1, 3, b5, b7C7b5 C, E, Gb, BbI 7b9 1, 3, 5, b7, b9 C7b9 C, E, G, Bb, Db
1, 3, 5, b7, b9 C7b9 C, E, G, Bb, DbI 7b5b9 1, 3, b5, b7, b9 C7b7b9 C, E, Gb, Bb, Db
1, 3, b5, b7, b9 C7b7b9 C, E, Gb, Bb, DbI maj7 1, 3, 5, 7 Cmaj7C, E, G, B
1, 3, 5, 7 Cmaj7C, E, G, BI maj9 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 Cmaj9C, E, G, B, D
1, 3, 5, 7, 9 Cmaj9C, E, G, B, DI add9 1, 3, 5, 9 Cadd9C, E, G, D
1, 3, 5, 9 Cadd9C, E, G, DI 6/9 (15) 1, 3, 5, 6, 9 C6/9 (15) C, E, G, A, D
1, 3, 5, 6, 9 C6/9 (15) C, E, G, A, DI sus4 (11)1, 4, 5 Csus4 (11) C, F, G
1, 4, 5 Csus4 (11) C, F, GI 7sus4 1, 4, 5, b7 C7sus4 C, F, G, Bb
1, 4, 5, b7 C7sus4 C, F, G, BbI 13b9 1, 3, 5, b7, b9, b3 C13b9C, E, G, Bb, Db, A
1, 3, 5, b7, b9, b3 C13b9C, E, G, Bb, Db, AI + 1, 3, #5C+ C, E, G#
1, 3, #5C+ C, E, G#I 7+ 1, 3, #5C7+ C, E, G#, Bb
1, 3, #5C7+ C, E, G#, BbI 7+9 1, 3, 5, b7, #9 C7+9 C, E, G, Bb, D#
1, 3, 5, b7, #9 C7+9 C, E, G, Bb, D#I 9+ 1. 3, #5, b7, 9 C9+ C, E, G#, Bb, D
1. 3, #5, b7, 9 C9+ C, E, G#, Bb, DI +11 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, #4 (#11) C+11 C, E, G, Bb, D, F#
1, 3, 5, b7, 9, #4 (#11) C+11 C, E, G, Bb, D, F# i 1, b3, 5Cm C, Eb, G
1, b3, 5Cm C, Eb, Gi 7 1, b3, 5, b7 Cm7 C, Eb, G, Bb
1, b3, 5, b7 Cm7 C, Eb, G, Bbi 9 1, b3, 5, b7, 9 Cm7 C, Eb, G, Bb, D
1, b3, 5, b7, 9 Cm7 C, Eb, G, Bb, Di 7b5 1, b3, b5, b7 Cm7b5 C, Eb, Gb, Bb
1, b3, b5, b7 Cm7b5 C, Eb, Gb, Bbi 7b9 1, b3, 5, b7 Cm7b9 C, Eb, G, Bb, Db
Cm7b9 C, Eb, G, Bb, Dbi 7b5b9 1, b3, b5, b7 Cm7b5b9 C, Eb, Gb, Bb, Db
Cm7b5b9 C, Eb, Gb, Bb, Dbi 6 1, b3, 5, 6 Cm6 C, Eb, G, A
1, b3, 5, 6 Cm6 C, Eb, G, Ai 6/9 1, b3, 5, 6, 9 Cm6/9C, Eb, G, A, D
1, b3, 5, 6, 9 Cm6/9C, Eb, G, A, Di (maj7) 1, b3, 5, 7 Cm(maj7) C, Eb. G. B
1, b3, 5, 7 Cm(maj7) C, Eb. G. Bi o 1, b3, b5Co C, Eb, Gb
1, b3, b5Co C, Eb, Gbi o7 1, b3, b5, bb7Co7 C, Eb, Gb, Bbb
1, b3, b5, bb7Co7 C, Eb, Gb, Bbbi o9 1, b3, b5, bb7, 9 Co9 C, Eb, Gb, Bbb, D
1, b3, b5, bb7, 9 Co9 C, Eb, Gb, Bbb, Dyour source for guitar excellence
