Chord Formulas.
Chord Symbol Formula Pitches
Cmin 1 ♭3 5 C E♭ G
Caug 1 3 ♯5 C E G♯
C dim
1 ♭3 ♭5 C E♭ G♭
C -7
1 ♭3 5 ♭7 C E♭ G B♭
C -7♭5
1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 C E♭ G♭ B♭
Cdim7 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 C E♭ G♭ B♭♭*
C 7
1 3 5 ♭7 C E G B♭
C -7♯5
1 ♭3 ♯5 ♭7 C E♭ G♯ B♭
Cmaj7♯5 1 3 ♯5 7 C E G♯ B
Cmaj7♭5 1 3 ♭5 7 C E G♭ B
C7♯5 1 3 ♯5 ♭7 C E G♯ B♭
C7 ♭5 1 3 ♭5 ♭7 C E G♭ B♭
Chord Construction | Chord Formula List
Chord type Formula Example in C
Named after the
major 3rd interval
Major 135 CEG
between root and
3
Named after the
minor 3rd interval
Minor 1 b3 5 C Eb G
between root and
b3
Also called
7th 1 3 5 b7 C E G Bb
DOMINANT 7th
Named after the
major 7th interval
Major 7th 1357 CEGB between root and
7th major scale
note
Minor 7th 1 b3 5 b7 C Eb G Bb
Chord type Formula Example in C
Major chord with
6th 1356 CEGA 6th major scale
note added
Minor chord with
Minor 6th 1 b3 5 6 C Eb G A 6th major scale
note added
Diminished 1 b3 b5 C Eb Gb
Diminished 7th 1 b3 b5 bb7 C Eb Gb Bbb
Half diminished Also called minor
1 b3 b5 b7 C Eb Gb Bb
7th 7thb5
Augmented 1 3 #5 C E G#
7th #5 1 3 #5 b7 C E G# Bb
9th 1 3 5 b7 9 C E G Bb D
The 'Hendrix'
7th #9 1 3 5 b7 #9 C E G Bb D#
chord
Major 9th 13579 CEGBD
Chords
extended beyond
the octave are
Added 9th 1359 CEGD
called 'added'
when the 7th is
not present.
Minor 9th 1 b3 5 b7 9 C Eb G Bb D
Minor add 9th 1 b3 5 9 C Eb G D
The 3rd is often
omitted to avoid
11th 1 (3) 5 b7 9 11 C E G Bb D F
a clash with the
11th
Minor 11th 1 b3 5 b7 9 11 C Eb G Bb D F
7th #11 1 3 5 b7 #11 C E G Bb D F# often used in
preference to
11th chords to
avoid the
Chord type Formula Example in C
dissonant clash
between 11 and
3
Major 7th #11 1 3 5 7 9 #11 C E G B D F#
1 3 5 b7 9 (11) C E G B D (F) The 11th is often
13 A omitted to avoid
13th
a clash with the
3rd.
1 3 5 7 9 (11) C E G B D (F) The 11th is often
13 A omitted to avoid
Major 13th
a clash with the
3rd.
1 b3 5 b7 9 11 C Eb G B D F
Minor 13th
13 A
Suspended 4th
145 CFG
(sus, sus4)
Suspended 2nd Sometimes
(sus2) considered as an
125 CDG
inverted sus4
(GCD)
5th (power
15 CG
chord)
Distance in Semitones Interval Name Common Short / Symbol Example
C-C
0 perfect unison p1
1 minor second m2 / b2 C-C#
2 major second M2 / ∆2 C-D
3 minor third m3 / b3 C-Eb
4 major third M3 / ∆3 C-E
5 perfect fourth p4 C-F
diminished fifth / augmented
6 b5 / d5 / +4 / #4 C-F# / Gb
fourth
7 perfect fifth p5 C-G
C - G# /
8 minor sixth / augmented fifth m6/b6 / +5 / #5
Ab
9 major sixth M6 / ∆6 C-A
10 minor seventh / dominant seventh m7 / b7 C-Bb
11 major seventh M7 / ∆7 C-B
12 octave / perfect eighth p8/R (for “root”) C-C