VI. Jazz
Chord Symbols
Megan Lavengood
Key Takeaways
- Chord symbols tell you the root of the triad, the quality of the triad, any extensions to the triad, and any non-root bass note.
- Chord symbols don’t reference a specific key. Instead, symbols are always assumed to be a certain quality unless otherwise indicated:
- Triads are assumed to be major.
- Sevenths added to the triad are assumed to be minor.
- All other extensions and added tones are assumed to be major/perfect.
- Alterations are shown through sharp and flat symbols, or through plus and minus symbols. Both systems are prevalent in the real world; when writing your own charts, pick one system and stick with it consistently. This textbook will use the sharp/flat system of showing alterations.
There are two systems of shorthand for discussing harmony used in this textbook: chord symbols and Roman numerals. Chord symbols are also sometimes called “lead sheet symbols” because you will find them on lead sheets, which are jazz scores that typically notate only a melody and these chord symbols.
Chord symbols can pack a lot of information into a few letters. A complex symbol is given in
, with annotations to show the various possible components of a chord symbol.Basics of Chord Symbols
Triads
Chord symbols are based on the major triad as the norm. If you see nothing but a note name as a chord symbol, this means to play a major triad. Other symbols are added to indicate other triad qualities, as summarized in .
| triad quality | chord symbol (for a chord with a root of C) |
|---|---|
| major | C |
| minor | Cmi, Cm, C- |
| diminished | Co, Cdim, Cm(♭5), Cm(-5) |
| augmented | C+, Caug |
Notice that there are several ways to represent each non-major triad quality. This is because chord symbols were created along the way as jazz developed and were never completely standardized. The symbols in
and are not comprehensive, but you can likely decode other variations based on the ones here. It’s good to be aware of all the possible ways of representing these different triad qualities, but stick to one method for yourself. In and , the symbols used in this textbook are given first.Seventh chords
The most common addition to a triad is the interval of a seventh. An added seventh is indicated with the Arabic number 7 written after the root, superscript.
As with the triad, the numeral 7 by itself indicates a default quality: a minor seventh. Alterations to the symbol indicate other possibilities, resulting in the seventh-chord symbols summarized in
:
| seventh-chord quality | chord symbol (for a chord with a root of C) |
|---|---|
| dominant seventh chord | C7 |
| major seventh chord | Cma7, Cmaj7, C∆7 |
| minor seventh chord | Cmi7, Cm7, C-7 |
| half-diminished seventh chord | Cø7, Cm7♭5, C-7♭5 |
| diminished seventh chord | Co7 |
Chord symbols for seventh chords.
This table only shows the five traditional seventh-chord qualities, but others are possible, such as m(maj7), aug7, and more. Again, these tab