The table below lists what notes of the scale are needed to build different chords. All the chord spellings are given in relation to the notes of the major scale, i.e a chord described as 1, 3, 5, b7 means you need the 1st, 3rd, 5th and flat 7th of the major scale to build the chord.
Note that the symbol for flat "b" can also be written as a minus sign "-". Similarly, the symbol for sharp "#" is interchangeable with "+".
| Type | Symbol | Construction | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 1 | 3 | 5 | |||||
| Minor | m | 1 | b3 | 5 | ||||
| Diminished | dim, o | 1 | b3 | b5 | ||||
| Diminished 7th | dim7, o 7 | 1 | b3 | b5 | bb7 | |||
| Half diminished | m7b5, ø | 1 | b3 | b5 | b7 | |||
| Augmented | aug | 1 | 3 | #5 | bb7 | |||
| 5th | 5 | 1 | 5 | bb7 | ||||
| 7th | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | |||
| Minor 7th | m7 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | |||
| Major 7th | maj7 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | |||
| Minor/major 7th | m/maj7 | 1 | b3 | 5 | 7 | |||
| Suspended 2nd | sus2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| Suspended 4th | sus4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||
| 7th suspended 2nd | 7sus2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | b7 | |||
| 7th suspended 4th | 7sus4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | b7 | |||
| Added 9th | add9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | |||
| Added 4th | add4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 6th | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Minor 6th | m6 | 1 | b3 | 5 | 6 | |||
| 6/9 | 6/9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | ||
| 9th | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | ||
| Minor 9th | m9 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | ||
| Major 9th | maj9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | ||
| 11th | 11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | |
| Minor 11th | m11 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | |
| Major 11th | maj11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | |
| 13th | 13 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| Minor 13th | m13 | 1 | b3 | 5 | b7 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| Major 13th | maj13 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| 7th sharp 9th | 7#9 7+9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | #9 | ||
| 7th flat 9th | 7b9 7-9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | b7 | b9 | ||
| 7th sharp 5th | 7#5 7+5 | 1 | 3 | #5 | b7 | |||
| 7th flat 5th | 7b5 7-5 | 1 | 3 | b5 | b7 | |||