The table below lists the different types of chords that are possible in music and how to construct them.
The table shows which notes of the major scale are needed to build each chord type and provides an corresponding
example based on the C major scale.
Note that the symbol for flat "b" can also be written as a minus sign "-", and the symbol for sharp "#" can similarly be written with a plus sign, "+".
| Type | Symbol | Construction | Example | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 | 3 | 5 | C | C | E | G | |||||||||
| Minor | m | 1 | b3 | 5 | Cm | C | Eb | G | ||||||||
| Diminished | dim, o | 1 | b3 | b5 | Cdim, o | C | Eb | Gb | ||||||||
| Diminished 7th | dim7, o 7 | 1 | b3 | b5 | bb7 | Cdim7, o 7 | C | Eb | Gb | A | ||||||
| Half diminished | m7b5, ø | 1 | b3 | b5 | b7 | Cm7b5, ø | C | Eb | Gb | Bb | ||||||
| Augmented | aug | 1 | 3 | #5 | bb7 | Caug | C | E | G# | A | ||||||
| 5th | 5 | 1 | 5 | bb7 | C5 | C | G | |||||||||
| 7th | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | C7 | C | E | G | Bb | ||||||
| Minor 7th | m7 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | Cm7 | C | Eb | G | Bb | ||||||
| Major 7th | maj7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | Cmaj7 | C | E | G | B | ||||||
| Minor/major 7th | m/maj7 | 1 | b3 | 5 | 7 | Cm/maj7 | C | Eb | G | B | ||||||
| Suspended 2nd | sus2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Csus2 | C | D | G | ||||||||
| Suspended 4th | sus4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | Csus4 | C | F | G | ||||||||
| 7th suspended 2nd | 7sus2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | b7 | C7sus2 | C | D | G | Bb | ||||||
| 7th suspended 4th | 7sus4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | b7 | C7sus4 | C | F | G | Bb | ||||||
| Added 9th | add9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | Cadd9 | C | E | G | D | ||||||
| Added 4th | add4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Cadd4 | C | E | F | G | ||||||
| 6th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | C6 | C | E | G | A | ||||||
| Minor 6th | m6 | 1 | b3 | 5 | 6 | Cm6 | C | Eb | G | A | ||||||
| 6/9 | 6/9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | C6/9 | C | E | G | A | D | ||||
| 9th | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | C9 | C | E | G | Bb | D | ||||
| Minor 9th | m9 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | Cm9 | C | Eb | G | Bb | D | ||||
| Major 9th | maj9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | Cmaj9 | C | E | G | B | D | ||||
| 11th | 11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | C11 | C | E | G | Bb | D | 11 | ||
| Minor 11th | m11 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | Cm11 | C | Eb | G | Bb | D | 11 | ||
| Major 11th | maj11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | Cmaj11 | C | E | G | B | D | 11 | ||
| 13th | 13 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | C13 | C | E | G | Bb | D | 11 | 13 |
| Minor 13th | m13 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | Cm13 | C | Eb | G | Bb | D | 11 | 13 |
| Major 13th | maj13 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | Cmaj13 | C | E | G | B | D | 11 | 13 |
| 7th sharp 9th | 7#9 7+9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | #9 | C7#9 7+9 | C | E | G | Bb | D# | ||||
| 7th flat 9th | 7b9 7-9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | b9 | C7b9 7-9 | C | E | G | Bb | Db | ||||
| 7th sharp 5th | 7#5 7+5 | 1 | 3 | #5 | b7 | C7#5 7+5 | C | E | G# | Bb | ||||||
| 7th flat 5th | 7b5 7-5 | 1 | 3 | b5 | b7 | C7b5 7-5 | C | E | Gb | Bb | ||||||