This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles. Western music is the genres of Music originating in the Western world (Europe and its former colonies including Western classical music, American For information on non-Western styles, consult the articles specific to those styles.

In music and music theory a chord (from Greek χορδή: gut, string) is three or more different notes that sound simultaneously. Music is an Art form in which the medium is Sound organized in Time. Music theory is the field of study that deals with the Mechanics of music and how Music works Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly In Music, the term note has two primary meanings 1 a sign used in Musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a Sound; Most often, in European-influenced music, chords are tertian sonorities that can be constructed as stacks of thirds relative to some underlying scale. "Tertial" redirects here For the feathers in a birds wing see tertials. In Music, a scale is a group of musical notes collected in ascending and descending order that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all Two-note combinations are typically referred to as dyads or intervals. In Music, a dyad is a set of two notes or pitches. Although most chords have three or more notes in certain contexts a dyad may be considered to be a In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical

Contents 1 History 2 Constructing and naming chords 2.1 Number of notes 2.2 Type of interval 2.3 Quality and triads 2.4 Scale degree 2.5 Inversion 3 Types of chords 3.1 Seventh chords 3.2 Extended chords 3.3 Sixth chords 3.3.1 Group1 3.3.2 Group 2 3.4 Chromatic alterations 3.5 Added tone chords 3.6 Suspended chords 3.7 Borrowed chords 3.8 Polychords 3.9 Guitar and pop chord notation 3.9.1 Power chords 4 Chord sequence 5 Nonchord tones and dissonance 6 Simultaneity 7 References 8 Further reading 9 See also 10 External links

History

Main article: Harmony

The word chord comes from cord which is a Middle English shortening of accord. In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of In the Middle Ages, Western harmony featured the perfect intervals of a fourth, a fifth, and an octave. In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical The perfect fourth () is a Musical interval which spans four scale degrees The perfect fifth ( is the Musical interval between a note and the note seven Semitones above it on the musical scale In Music, an octave ( is the the use of which is "common in most musical systems In the 15th and 16th centuries, the major and minor triads (see below) became increasingly common, and were soon established as the default sonority for Western music. In Music and Music theory, a triad is a three- note chord that can be stacked in thirds Four-note "seventh chords" were then widely adopted from the 17th century. The harmony of many contemporary popular Western genres continues to be founded in the use of triads and seventh chords, though far from universally. Notable exceptions include: modern jazz (especially circa 1960), in which chords often include at least five notes, with seven (and occasionally more) being quite common; and atonal or post-tonal contemporary classical music (including the music of some film scores), whose chords can be far more complex, rooted in such disparate harmonic philosophies that traditional terms such as triad are rarely useful. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Atonality in its broadest sense describes Music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Atonality in its broadest sense describes Music that lacks a tonal center, or key.

Chords are so well-established in Western music that sonorities of two pitches, or even monophonic melodies, are often interpreted by listeners (musicians and non-musicians alike) as "implying" chords. This psychoacoustic phenomenon occurs as a result of a lifetime of exposure to the conventional harmonies of music, with the result that the brain "supplies" the complete expected chord in its absence. Psychoacoustics is the study of subjective human Perception of Sounds Alternatively it can be described as the study of the Psychological correlates

Composers can and do take advantage of this tendency to surprise the listener, by deliberately avoiding certain defining tones. For instance, a composition may be predominantly composed in the pentatonic minor scale, implying common Aeolian mode to the listener, before deliberately including a more uncommon tone in a melodic progression or chord, such as a major VI (signalling Dorian mode) or a flattened II (signalling Phrygian mode). A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per Octave in contrast to an heptatonic (seven note scale such as the Major scale The Aeolian mode is a Musical mode or Diatonic scale. An Aeolian mode formed part of the Music theory of Ancient Greece, based around Due to historical confusion Dorian mode or Doric mode can refer to two very different Musical modes or Diatonic scales Greek The Phrygian mode can refer to two different Musical modes or Diatonic scales the ancient Greek Phrygian mode and the Mediaeval Phrygian mode

Constructing and naming chords

Every chord has certain characteristics, which include:

• the number of chromas used in constructing the chord (or the number of distinct pitch classes from which the chord takes its notes)
• the general type of intervals it contains: for example seconds, thirds, or fourths. In Music, a pitch class is a set of all pitches that are a whole number of Octaves apart e In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical
• its precise intervallic construction, sometimes called "chord quality": for example, if the chord is a triad, is the triad a major, minor, augmented or diminished?
• the scale degree of the root note
• whether the chord is inverted in register

Number of notes

One way of classifying chords is according to the number of distinct pitch classes used in their construction, a pitch class being identified by a degree of the scale (that is, a certain musical note, such as A, B, C, D, etc. In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. In Music theory, a minor chord ( is a chord having a root, a Minor third, and a Perfect fifth. In music an augmented triad ( is a triad consisting of two Major thirds Harmonic considerations Whereas a Major triad, such as C-E-G Generally in Music, a diminished chord ( is a minor chord which has a Diminished fifth in it In Music theory, a scale degree is the name of a particular note of a scale in relation to the tonic (the note of the scale that is considered In Music the root ( basse fouhuhuhe) of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built In Music theory, the word inversion has several meanings There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and ) without regard to which octave it occurs in. Chords using three pitch classes are called triads. Chords using four notes are known as tetrads. Those using five are called pentads, and those using six are hexads. The pentad was a Pythagorean term for the number five A Pentagram, symbol of the pentad was used by the Pythagoreans as a secret sign to recognize They are sometimes called trichords, tetrachords, pentachords and hexachords, however these terms more usually refer to contiguous pitch clases in some scale, usually spanning a perfect fourth, and not generally played simultaneously. Depending on the context a trichord is either a contiguous segment of a musical scale or of a twelve-tone row or (in accord with Allen Forte 's redefinition of the Traditionally a tetrachord is a series of four tones filling in the interval of a perfect fourth a 43 frequency proportion A pentachord is a five-note segment of a scale or tone row A diatonic scale comprises five non-transpositionally equivalent pentachords rather than seven because the Ionian and Mixolydian In Music, a hexachord is a six-note segment of a scale or tone row The perfect fourth () is a Musical interval which spans four scale degrees

Theorists differ as to whether chords consist of at least three pitches. Otto Karolyi (, p. 63), disagrees, writing that, "two or more notes sounded simultaneously are known as a chord. The vertical combination of three sounds: fundamental note, third and fifth, gives us a chord known as a triad. " In contrast, Andrew Surmani (2004, p. 72), writes that, "when three or more notes are sounded together, the combination is called a chord," and George T. Jones explains (1994, p. 43) "two tones sounding together are usually termed an interval, while three or mores tones are called a chord. " According to Monath (1984, p. 37) "A chord is a combination of three or more tones sounded simultaneously for which the distances (called intervals) between the tones are based on a particular formula. (Two notes sounded simultaneously are not considered to be chords and are simply called intervals. )"

Type of interval

Main article: Interval (music)

Many chords can be arranged as a series whose elements are separated by intervals that are all roughly the same size. In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical For example, a C major triad contains the notes C, E, and G. These notes can be arranged in the series C-E-G, in which the first interval (C-E) is a major third, while the second interval (E-G) is a minor third. A major third ( is one of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span three Diatonic scale degrees the other being the Minor third. A minor third ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the Diatonic scale. Any chord that can be arranged as a series of (major or minor) thirds is called a tertian chord. "Tertial" redirects here For the feathers in a birds wing see tertials. A chord such as C-D-E♭ is a series of seconds, containing a major second (C-D) and a minor second (D-E♭). A major second () also called a whole step or a whole tone, is a Musical interval that occurs between the first and second degrees of a A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest Musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music and it is considered the Such chords are called secundal. In Music or Music theory, secundal is the quality of a chord made from seconds and anything related to things constructed from seconds such The chord C-F-B, which consists of a perfect fourth C-F and an augmented fourth (tritone) F-B is called quartal. The perfect fourth () is a Musical interval which spans four scale degrees The tritone ( Tri - or three and tone) is a Musical interval that spans three whole tones. In Music, quartal harmony is the building of chordal and melodic structures with a distinct preference for intervals of fourths Most Western music uses tertian chords. "Tertial" redirects here For the feathers in a birds wing see tertials.

On closer examination, however, the terms "secundal", "tertian" and "quartal" can become ambiguous. The terms "second," "third," and "fourth" (and so on) are often understood relative to a scale, but it is not always clear which scale they refer to. For example, consider the pentatonic scale G-A-C-D-F. Relative to the pentatonic scale, the intervals G-C and C-F are "thirds," since there is one note between them. Relative to the chromatic scale, however, the intervals G-C and C-F are "fourths" since they are five semitones wide. For this reason the chord G-C-F might be described both as "tertian" and "quartal," depending on whether one is measuring intervals relative to the pentatonic or chromatic scales.

The use of accidentals complicates the picture. In Music, an accidental is a Note whose pitch (or Pitch class) is not a member of a scale or mode indicated by the The chord B♯-E-A♭ is notated as a series of diminished fourths (B♯-E) and (E-A♭). However, the chord is enharmonically equivalent to (and sonically indistinguishable from) C-E-G♯, which is a series of major thirds (C-E) and (E-G♯). In modern Music and notation, an enharmonic equivalent is a Note ( enharmonic tone) interval ( enharmonic interval) or A major third ( is one of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span three Diatonic scale degrees the other being the Minor third. Notationally, then, B♯-E-A♭ is a "fourth chord," even though it sounds identical to the tertian chord C-E-G♯. In some circumstances it is useful to talk about how a chord is notated, while in others it is useful to talk about how it sounds. Terms such as "tertian" and "quartal" can be used in either sense, and it is important to be clear about which is intended.

Quality and triads

The quality of a triad is determined by the precise arrangement of its intervals. Tertian triads can be described as a series of three notes. The first element is called the root note of the chord, the second note is called the "third" of the chord, and the last note is called the "fifth" of the chord. In Music the root ( basse fouhuhuhe) of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built These are described below:

Chord name	Component intervals		Example	Chord symbol
major triad	major third	perfect fifth	C-E-G	C, CM, Cma, Cmaj
minor triad	minor third	perfect fifth	C-E♭-G	Cm, Cmi, Cmin
augmented triad	major third	augmented fifth	C-E-G♯	C+, C+, Caug
diminished triad	minor third	diminished fifth	C-E♭-G♭	Cm(♭5), Cº, Cdim

As an example, consider an octave of the C major scale, consisting of the notes C D E F G A B C. This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. A major third ( is one of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span three Diatonic scale degrees the other being the Minor third. The perfect fifth ( is the Musical interval between a note and the note seven Semitones above it on the musical scale In Music theory, a minor chord ( is a chord having a root, a Minor third, and a Perfect fifth. A minor third ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the Diatonic scale. The perfect fifth ( is the Musical interval between a note and the note seven Semitones above it on the musical scale In general an augmented chord is any chord which contains an augmented interval. A major third ( is one of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span three Diatonic scale degrees the other being the Minor third. An augmented fifth ( is a Musical interval that spans five scale degrees and consists of eight semitones Generally in Music, a diminished chord ( is a minor chord which has a Diminished fifth in it A minor third ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring musical intervals compounded of two steps of the Diatonic scale. The tritone ( Tri - or three and tone) is a Musical interval that spans three whole tones. In Music, an octave ( is the the use of which is "common in most musical systems In Music theory, the major scale or Ionian scale is one of the diatonic scales It is made up of seven distinct Notes plus an eighth

The major triad formed using the C note as the root would consist of C (the root note of the scale), E (the third note of the scale) and G (the fifth note of the scale). This triad is major because the interval from C to E is a major third. A major third ( is one of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span three Diatonic scale degrees the other being the Minor third.

Using the same scale (and thus, implicitly, the key of C major) a minor chord may be constructed using the D as the root note. In Music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways This would be D (root), F (third note), A (fifth note).

Examination at the piano keyboard will reveal that there are four semitones between the root and third of the chord on C, but only 3 semitones between the root and third of the chord on D (while the outer notes are still a perfect fifth apart). A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest Musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music and it is considered the Thus the C triad is major while the D triad is minor.

A triad can be constructed on any note of the C major scale. These will all be either minor or major, with the exception of the triad on B, the leading-tone (the last note of the scale before returning to a C, in this case), which is diminished. In Music theory, a leading-tone (called the leading- note outside the US is a note or pitch which resolves or "leads" For more detail see the article on the mathematics of the Western music scale. Music theorists often use Mathematics to understand musical structure and communicate new ways of hearing music

Scale degree

Chords are also distinguished and notated by the scale degree of their root note or bass note. In Music theory, a scale degree is the name of a particular note of a scale in relation to the tonic (the note of the scale that is considered In Music the root ( basse fouhuhuhe) of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built The bass note of a chord or sonority is the lowest Note played or notated

For example, since the first scale degree of the C major scale is the note C, a triad built on top of the note C would be called the one chord, which might be notated 1, I, or even C, in which case the assumption would be made that the key signature of the particular piece of music in question would indicate to the musician what function a C major triad was fulfilling, and that any special role of the chord outside of its normal diatonic function would be inferred from the context. In Musical notation, a key signature is a series of sharp or flat symbols placed on the staff, designating notes that are to be consistently

When taking any major (Ionian) scale and building a triad with a base in the scale, the second, third, and sixth intervals, when used as a root, will form a minor triad. The Ionian mode is a Musical mode of Diatonic scale. It was part of the Music theory of Ancient Greece, and was based around the relative natural The root, fourth, and fifth form a major triad, whereas the seventh will form a diminished triad. When in minor modes, building a triad upon the tonic and fourth degrees of the scale will result in a minor chord. Building upon scale degrees two and seven will result in diminished chords, while building a triad upon scale degrees three, five, and six will yield major chords.

Roman numerals indicate the root of the chord as a scale degree within a particular major key as follows:

Roman numeral	I	ii	iii	IV	V	vi	viio
Scale degree	tonic	supertonic	mediant	subdominant	dominant	submediant	leading tone/subtonic

Many analysts use lower-case Roman numerals to indicate minor triads and upper-case for major ones, with degree and plus signs (^o and ⁺) to indicate diminished and augmented triads, respectively. Roman numerals are a Numeral system originating in ancient Rome, adapted from Etruscan numerals. In Music theory, a scale degree is the name of a particular note of a scale in relation to the tonic (the note of the scale that is considered In Music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways The tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal method of Musical composition. In Music or Music theory, the supertonic is the second degree or note of a Diatonic scale (in other words immediately "above" In Music, the mediant is the third degree of the Diatonic scale, being the "middle" note of the tonic In Music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the Diatonic scale. In Music, the dominant is the Fifth degree of the scale. For example in the C Major scale (white keys on a piano starting with C the In Music, the submediant is the sixth tonal degree of the Diatonic scale. In Music theory, a leading-tone (called the leading- note outside the US is a note or pitch which resolves or "leads" In Music, the subtonic is the lowered seventh degree of the scale, as opposed to the leading tone (vii When they are not used, all the numerals are capital, and the qualities of the chords are inferred from the other scale degrees that chord contains; for example, a chord built on VI in C major would contain the notes A, C, and E, and would therefore be a minor triad. Chords that are not on the scale can be indicated by placing a flat/sharp sign before the chord — for example, the chord of E flat major in the key of C major is represented by ♭III.

The scale to whose scale degrees the Roman numerals refer may be indicated to the left (e. g. F♯:), but may also be understood from the key signature or other contextual clues.

Unlike pop chord symbols, which are used as a guide to players, Roman numerals are used primarily as analytical tools, and so indications of inversions or added tones are sometimes omitted if they are not relevant to the analysis being performed.

Inversion

Main article: Inversion (music)

When the bass is not the same as the root, the chord is inverted. In Music theory, the word inversion has several meanings There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and In Music theory, the word inversion has several meanings There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and

The number of inversions that a chord can have is one fewer than the number of constituent notes. Triads, for example, (having three constituent notes) can have three positions, two of which are inversions:

• Root position

The root note is in the bass, and above that are the third and the fifth. In Music theory, the word inversion has several meanings There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and A triad built on the first scale degree, for example, is marked 'I'

• First inversion

The third is in the bass, and above it are the fifth and the root. This creates an interval of a sixth and a third above the bass note, and so is marked in figured Roman notation as '6/3'. This is commonly abbreviated to 'I6' (or 'Ib') since the sixth is the characteristic interval of the inversion, and so always implies '6/3'.

• Second inversion

The fifth is in the bass, and above it are the root and the third. This creates an interval of a sixth and a fourth above the bass note, and so is marked as 'I6/4' or 'Ic'. Second inversion is the most unstable chord position.

Types of chords

Seventh chords

Main article: Seventh chord. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root.

Seventh chords may be thought of as the next natural step in composing tertian chords after triads. "Tertial" redirects here For the feathers in a birds wing see tertials. Seventh chords are constructed by adding a fourth note to a triad, at the interval of a third above the fifth of the chord. This creates the interval of a seventh above the root of the chord. There are various types of seventh chords depending on the quality of the original chord and the quality of the seventh added. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root.

Five common types of seventh chords have standard symbols. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. The chord quality indications are sometimes superscripted and sometimes not (e. g. Dm7, Dm⁷, and D^m7 are all identical). The last three chords are not used commonly except in jazz.

Chord name	Component notes (chord and interval)		Chord symbol
major seventh	major triad	major seventh	CMaj7, CMA7, CM7, CΔ7, Cj7
dominant seventh	major triad	minor seventh	C7, C7
harmonic seventh	major triad	harmonic seventh	(approx. In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles In Music, a major seventh chord is any Seventh chord where the "third" note is a Major third above the root In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. A major seventh ( is the larger of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. A minor seventh ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. The harmonic seventh interval, also known as the septimal minor seventh, is one with an exact 74 ratio (about 969 cents ) C7, C7
minor seventh	minor triad	minor seventh	Cm7, C-7, C-7
diminished seventh	diminished triad	diminished seventh	Co7, Cdim7
half-diminished seventh	diminished triad	minor seventh	Cø7, Cm7♭5, C-7(♭5)
augmented major seventh	augmented triad	major seventh	C+(Maj7), C+MA7, CMaj7+5, CMaj7♯5, C+j7, CΔ+7
augmented seventh	augmented triad	minor seventh	C+7, C7+, C7+5, C7♯5
minor major seventh	minor triad	major seventh	Cm(Maj7), C-(j7), Cm♯7, C-Δ7

When a dominant seventh chord (a major minor seventh in its most common function) is borrowed from another key, the Roman numeral corresponding with that key is shown after a slash. In Music, a minor seventh chord is any Seventh chord where the "third" note is a Minor third above the root In Music theory, a minor chord ( is a chord having a root, a Minor third, and a Perfect fifth. A minor seventh ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees In Music theory, a diminished seventh ( is an interval encompassing nine Semitones or a particular chord containing this interval Generally in Music, a diminished chord ( is a minor chord which has a Diminished fifth in it In Music theory, a diminished seventh ( is an interval encompassing nine Semitones or a particular chord containing this interval In Music theory, the half-diminished seventh chord (also known as a minor seventh flat five) is created by taking the root, Minor third Generally in Music, a diminished chord ( is a minor chord which has a Diminished fifth in it A minor seventh ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees An augmented major seventh chord comprises the root note the note a major third above the root the note an augmented fifth above the root and the note a major seventh above the In music an augmented triad ( is a triad consisting of two Major thirds Harmonic considerations Whereas a Major triad, such as C-E-G A major seventh ( is the larger of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees In music an augmented triad ( is a triad consisting of two Major thirds Harmonic considerations Whereas a Major triad, such as C-E-G A minor seventh ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees A minor/major seventh chord (written m/M7 minor major seventh and *lowercase root name*M7 such as am/M7 is a naturally occurring Diatonic chord in the Harmonic minor In Music theory, a minor chord ( is a chord having a root, a Minor third, and a Perfect fifth. A major seventh ( is the larger of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees For example, V/V indicates the dominant of the dominant. In Music, the dominant is the Fifth degree of the scale. For example in the C Major scale (white keys on a piano starting with C the In the key of C major, where the dominant (V) chord is G major, this secondary dominant is the chord on the fifth degree of the G major scale, i. Secondary dominant (also applied dominant) is a type of chord used in musical Harmony. e. D major. Note that while the chord built on D (ii) in the key of C major would normally be a minor chord, the V/V chord, also built on D, is major.

Extended chords

Main article: Extended chord.

Extended chords are tertian chords (built from thirds) or triads with notes extended, or added, beyond the seventh. Thus ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords are extended chords. After the thirteenth, any notes added in thirds duplicate notes elsewhere in the chord, so there are no fifteenth chords, seventeenth chords, and so on in tonal music theory, though such chords may be constructed with up to all twelve unique tones (this would obviously imply that the chord lies outside the diatonic seven-note scale) and doublings; such a chord may be of arbitrarily large size, though large names such as "23rd chord" and "25th chord" are not particularly useful.

To add one note to a single triad, the equivalent simple intervals are used. Because an octave has seven notes, these are as follows:

Chord name	Component notes (chord and interval)				Musical notation
Add nine	major triad	ninth	-	-	C2, Cadd9
Major 4th	major triad	perfect fourth	-	-	C4, Cadd11
Major sixth	major triad	sixth	-	-	C6
Six-nine	major triad	sixth	ninth	-	C6/9
Dominant ninth	dominant seventh	major ninth	-	-	C9
Dominant eleventh	dominant seventh (the third is usually omitted)	major ninth	perfect eleventh	-	C11
Dominant thirteenth	dominant seventh (the eleventh is usually omitted)	major ninth	perfect eleventh	major thirteenth	C13

Other extended chords follow the logic of the rules shown above. In Music theory, the term interval describes the relationship between the pitches of two Notes Intervals may be described as vertical See also Modern musical symbols Music notation or musical notation is any system which represents aurally perceived Music through the use In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. The perfect fourth () is a Musical interval which spans four scale degrees In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. In Music theory, a major chord ( is a chord having a root, a Major third, and a Perfect fifth. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A major ninth is a compound Musical interval spanning 14 Semitones or an Octave plus 2 semitones A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A major third ( is one of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span three Diatonic scale degrees the other being the Minor third. A major ninth is a compound Musical interval spanning 14 Semitones or an Octave plus 2 semitones In Music or Music theory an eleventh is the Note eleven Scale degrees from the Root of a chord and also the interval A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. In Music or Music theory an eleventh is the Note eleven Scale degrees from the Root of a chord and also the interval A major ninth is a compound Musical interval spanning 14 Semitones or an Octave plus 2 semitones In Music or Music theory an eleventh is the Note eleven Scale degrees from the Root of a chord and also the interval In Music or Music theory, a thirteenth is the Note thirteen Scale degrees from the Root of a chord.

Thus Maj9, Maj11 and Maj13 chords are the extended chords shown above with major sevenths rather than minor sevenths. Similarly, m9, m11 and m13 have minor thirds and minor sevenths.

Extended chords, composed of triads can also have variations. Thus madd9, m4 and m6 are minor triads with extended notes.

Sixth chords

Sixth chords are chords that contain any of the various intervals of a sixth as a defining characteristic. They can be considered as belonging to either of two separate groups:

Group1

Chords that contain a sixth chord member, i. e. , a note separated by the interval of a sixth from the chord's root, such as:

1. The major sixth chord (also called, sixth or added sixth with chord notation: 6, e. g. , 'C6')

   This is by far the most common type of sixth chord of this group, and comprises a major chord plus a note forming the interval of a major sixth above the root. A major sixth ( is the larger of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span six Diatonic scale degrees For example, the chord C6 contains the notes C-E-G-A.

2. The minor sixth chord (with chord notation: min 6 or m6, e. g. , Cm6)

   This is a minor chord plus a note forming the interval of a major sixth above the root. For example, the chord Cmin6 contains the notes C-E♭-G-A

   In chord notation, the sixth of either chord is always assumed to be a major sixth rather than a minor sixth. A minor sixth ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span six Diatonic scale degrees Minor versions exist, and in chord notation this is indicated as, e. g. , Cmin (min6), or Cmin (aeolian). Such chords, however, are very rare, as the minor sixth chord member is considered an "avoid tone" due to the semitone clash between it and the chord's fifth. An avoid tone is a jazz theory term given to a scale degree which is considered especially Dissonant relative to the harmony implied by the root chord.

3. The augmented sixth chord (usually appearing in chord notation as an enharmonically equivalent seventh chord)

   An augmented sixth chord is a chord which contains two notes that are separated by the interval of an augmented sixth (or, by inversion, a diminished third - though this inversion is rare in compositional practice). An augmented sixth chord contains the interval of an Augmented sixth above its "root The augmented sixth is generally used as a dissonant interval which resolves by both notes moving outward to an octave.

In Western music, the most common use of augmented sixth chords is to resolve to a dominant chord in root position (that is, a dominant triad with the root doubled to create the octave to which the augmented sixth chord resolves), or to a tonic chord in second inversion (a tonic triad with the fifth doubled for the same purpose). In this case, the tonic note of the key is included in the chord, sometimes along with an optional fourth note, to create one of the following (illustrated here in the key of C major):

• Italian augmented sixth: A♭, C, F♯
• French augmented sixth: A♭, C, D, F♯
• German augmented sixth: A♭, C, E♭, F♯

The augmented sixth family of chords exhibits certain peculiarities. Since they are not triad-based, as are seventh chords and other sixth chords, they are not generally regarded as having roots (nor, therefore, inversions), although one re-voicing of the notes is common (with the namesake interval inverted so as to create a diminished third).

Group 2

Inverted chords, in which the interval of a sixth appears above the bass note rather than the root; inversions, traditionally, being so named from their characteristic interval of a sixth from the bass.

1. Inverted major and minor chords

   Inverted major and minor chords may be called sixth chords. More specifically, their first and second inversions may be called six-three (6/3)and six-four (6/4) chords respectively, to indicate the intervals that the upper notes form with the bass note. Nowadays, however, this is mostly done for purposes of academic study or analysis. (see figured bass)

2. The neapolitan sixth chord

   This chord is a major triad with the lowered supertonic scale degree as its root. Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer Musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords and Nonchord tones in relation In Music theory, a Neapolitan chord (or simply a " Neapolitan " is a Major chord built on the lowered second ( Supertonic) scale The chord is referred to as a "sixth" because it is almost always found in first inversion Though a technically accurate Roman numeral analysis would be ♭II, it is generally labelled N⁶. In C major, the chord is spelled (assuming root position) D♭, F, A♭.

   Because it uses lowered altered tones, this chord is often grouped with the borrowed chords. In Music alteration, an example of Chromaticism, is the use of a neighboring pitch in the Chromatic scale in place of its Diatonic neighbor such However, the chord is not borrowed from the parallel major or minor, and may appear in both major and minor keys.

Chromatic alterations

Although the third and seventh of the chord are always determined by the symbols shown above, the fifth, as well as the extended intervals 9, 11, and 13, may be altered through the use of accidentals. In Music, an accidental is a Note whose pitch (or Pitch class) is not a member of a scale or mode indicated by the These are indicated along with the corresponding number of the element to be altered.

Accidentals are most often used in conjunction with dominant seventh chords. For example:

Chord name	Component notes		Chord symbol
Seventh augmented fifth	dominant seventh	augmented fifth	C7+5, C7♯5
Seventh flat nine	dominant seventh	minor ninth	C7-9, C7♭9
Seventh sharp nine	dominant seventh	augmented ninth	C7+9, C7♯9
Seventh augmented eleventh	dominant seventh	augmented eleventh	C7+11, C7♯11
Seventh flat thirteenth	dominant seventh	minor thirteenth	C7-13, C7♭13
Half-diminished seventh	minor seventh	diminished fifth	Cø, Cm7♭5

"Altered" dominant seventh chords (C^7alt) have a flat ninth, a sharp ninth, a diminished fifth and an augmented fifth (see Levine's Jazz Theory). This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A seventh chord is a chord consisting of a triad plus a note forming an interval of a Seventh above the chord's root. A minor seventh ( is the smaller of two commonly occurring Musical intervals that span seven Diatonic scale degrees Some write this as C⁷⁺⁹, which assumes also the flat ninth, diminished fifth and augmented fifth (see Aebersold's Scale Syllabus).

The augmented ninth is often referred to as a blue note, being enharmonically equivalent to the flatted third or tenth, and is used as such, particularly in blues and other jazz standards. In Jazz and Blues, a blue note (also "worried" note is a Note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression A jazz standard is a Jazz tune that is held in continuing esteem and which is widely known performed and recorded among jazz musicians as part of the jazz musical repertoire

When superscripted numerals are used, the different numbers may be listed horizontally (as shown), or vertically.

Added tone chords

Main article: Added tone chord. An added tone chord is a triadic chord with an extra "added" note such as the added Sixth.

An added tone chord is a traditional chord with an extra "added" note, such as the commonly added sixth (above the root). This includes chords with an added second (ninth) or fourth (eleventh), or a combination of the three. These chords do not include "intervening" thirds as in an extended chord.

Suspended chords

Main article: Suspended chord. A suspended chord is a chord in which the Third is replaced or accompanied by either a Perfect fourth ( or a Major second ( although the fourth

A suspended chord, or "sus chord" (sometimes improperly called sustained chord), is a chord in which the third has been displaced by either of its dissonant neighbouring notes, forming intervals of a major second or (more commonly) a perfect fourth with the root. This results in two distinct chord types: the suspended second (sus2) and the suspended fourth (sus4). The chords, C^sus2 and C^sus4, for example, consist of the notes C D G and C F G, respectively. Extended versions are also possible, such as the seventh suspended fourth, for example, which, with root C, contains the notes C F G B♭ and is notated as C7^sus4. C^sus4 is sometimes written C^sus since it is more common.

The name suspended derives from an early voice leading technique developed during the common practice period of composition, in which an anticipated stepwise melodic progression to a harmonically stable note in any particular part (voice) was often momentarily delayed or suspended simply by extending the duration of the previous note. A nonchord tone, nonharmonic tone, or non-harmony note is a note in a piece of Music which is not a part of the chord that is formed In Music, voice leading is the relationship between the successive pitches of simultaneous moving parts or voices. The common practice period, in the history of European Art music (broadly called Classical music) spanning the Baroque, Classical, and The resulting unexpected dissonance could then be all the more satisfyingly resolved by the eventual appearance of the displaced note.

In modern usage, without regard to such considerations of voice leading, the term suspended is restricted to those chords involving the displacement of the third only, and the dissonant second or fourth no longer needs to be prepared from the previous chord. Neither is it now obligatory for the displaced note to make an appearance at all. However, in the majority of occurrences of suspended chords, the conventional stepwise resolution to the third is still observed.

Note that, in traditional music theory, the inclusion of the third in either the suspended second or suspended fourth chords negates the effect of suspension, and such chords are properly called added ninth and added eleventh chords rather than suspended chords.

A notable exception to this analysis of suspended chords occurs in jazz theory. In post-bop and modal jazz compositions and improvisations, suspended seventh chords are often used in nontraditional ways. Post-bop is a term for a form of small-combo Jazz music that evolved in the early-to-mid sixties Modal jazz is Jazz using Musical modes rather than chord progressions as its harmonic framework In these contexts, they often do not function as V chords, and do not resolve the fourth to the third; the lack of resolution gives the chord an ambiguous, static quality. Indeed, the third is often played on top of a sus4 chord; in jazz theory, this doesn't negate the quality of the chord as a suspended chord. A good example is the jazz standard Maiden Voyage

Borrowed chords

Main article: Borrowed chord. Maiden Voyage is the fifth Album led by Jazz musician Herbie Hancock, and was recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in 1965 for Blue Note A borrowed chord is a chord borrowed from the Parallel key. If the root of the borrowed chord is not in the original key then they are named by the

Borrowed chords are chords borrowed from the parallel minor or major. In Music, the parallel minor or tonic minor of a particular major key is the minor key with the same tonic; similarly the parallel major If the root of the borrowed chord is not in the original key, then they are named by the accidental. For instance, in major, a chord built on the parallel minor's sixth degree is a "flat six chord", written ♭VI. Borrowed chords are an example of mode mixture. In Music mode mixture or modal mixture is the use of pitches or chords from the parallel minor or major scale or key

If a chord is borrowed from the parallel key, this is usually indicated directly (e. A borrowed chord is a chord borrowed from the Parallel key. If the root of the borrowed chord is not in the original key then they are named by the In Music, the parallel minor or tonic minor of a particular major key is the minor key with the same tonic; similarly the parallel major g. IV (minor)) or explained in a footnote or accompanying text. If there is no mention of tonality upper case can be taken as the major and lower case as minor.

Polychords

Polychords are two or more chords superimposed on top of one another. In Music and Music theory, a bichord or polychord consists of two or more chords one on top of the other See also altered chord, secundal chord, Quartal and quintal harmony and Tristan chord. In Music, an altered chord, an example of Alteration, is a chord with one or more Diatonic notes replaced by or altered to a neighboring pitch in the In Music or Music theory, secundal is the quality of a chord made from seconds and anything related to things constructed from seconds such In Music, quartal harmony is the building of chordal and melodic structures with a distinct preference for intervals of fourths The Tristan chord is a chord made up of the Notes F B D# and G#

Guitar and pop chord notation

Main article: Guitar chord. A guitar chord is a chord, a collection of tones usually sounded together at once played on a Guitar, a type of chromatically fretted String

All pop-music chords are assumed to be in root position, with the root of the chord in the bass. In Music the root ( basse fouhuhuhe) of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built In Music the root ( basse fouhuhuhe) of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built Bass (ˈbɛɪs as in base) when used as an adjective is used to describe tones of low Frequency or range. To indicate a different bass note, a slash is used, such as C/E, indicating a C major chord with an E in the bass. If the bass note is a chord member, the result is an inverted chord; otherwise, it is known as a slash chord. In Music theory, the word inversion has several meanings There are inverted chords, inverted melodies, inverted intervals, and In Popular music a slash chord or slashed chord is a chord whose Bass note or inversion is indicated by the addition of a slash This is not to be confused with the similar-looking secondary dominant. Secondary dominant (also applied dominant) is a type of chord used in musical Harmony.

The tables in the linked subarticle include a column showing the pop chord symbols commonly used as an abbreviated notation using letters, numbers, and other symbols and usually written above the given lyrics or staff. Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing In standard Western Musical notation, the staff ( AmE) or stave Although these symbols are used occasionally in classical music as well, they are most common for lead sheets and fake books in jazz and other popular music. A lead sheet is a form of Music notation or transcription that specifies the essential elements of a composition in Popular music: the Melody A fake book is a collection of musical Lead sheets intended to help a performer quickly learn new songs Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States

Power chords

Main article: Power chord. In Music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above usually played on Electric guitar.

Power chords are constructed by playing a root, perfect fifth and, in some cases, perfect octave. Because the chord does not contain a third, the major and minor qualities are not present. They are generally played on electric guitar and are used extensively in rock music, especially heavy metal and punk rock, where heavy amounts of distortion are used. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. A distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic of an object image sound waveform or other form of information or representation Because distortion adds a great deal of harmonic content to an electric guitar's timbre, perfect intervals are the only intervals with enough consonance to be clearly articulated and perceived at high distortion levels. Even the addition of a third can cause a chord to sound dissonant.

Chord sequence

Main article: Chord progression

Chords are commonly played in sequence, much as notes are played in sequence to form melodies. A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order Chord sequences can be conceptualised either in a simplistic way, in which the root notes of the chords play simple melodies while tension is created and relieved by increasing and decreasing dissonance, or full attention can be paid to each note in every chord, in which case chord sequences can be regarded as multi-part harmony of unlimited complexity. A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order In Music the root ( basse fouhuhuhe) of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music.

Nonchord tones and dissonance

A nonchord tone is a dissonant or unstable tone which is not a part of the chord that is currently playing and in most cases quickly resolves to a chord tone. A nonchord tone, nonharmonic tone, or non-harmony note is a note in a piece of Music which is not a part of the chord that is formed Resolution in western tonal Music theory is the "need" for a sounded Note and/or chord to move from a dissonance (an unstable sound

Simultaneity

Main article: Simultaneity (music)

A chord is only the harmonic function of a group of notes, and it is unnecessary for all the notes to be played together. In Music, a simultaneity is more than one complete Musical texture occurring at the same time rather than in Succession. For example, broken chords and arpeggios are ways of playing notes in succession so that they form chords. In Music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the Notes are played or sung in Sequence, one after the other rather than Ringing out simultaneously In Music, an arpeggio is a broken chord where the Notes are played or sung in Sequence, one after the other rather than Ringing out simultaneously One of the most familiar broken chord figures is Alberti bass. Alberti bass is a particular kind of Accompaniment in Music, often used in the Classical era, and sometimes the romantic one

Since simultaneity is not a required feature of chords, there has been some academic discussion regarding the point at which a group of notes can be called a chord. Jean-Jacques Nattiez (1990, p. Jean-Jacques Nattiez (born December 30 1945, Amiens, France) is a Musical semiologist or semiotician and professor of 218) explains that, "we can encounter 'pure chords' in a musical work," such as in the "Promenade" of Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (Моде́ст Петро́вич Му́соргский Modest Petrovič Musorgskij) ( March 21 March 9 1839 &ndash March Pictures at an Exhibition (Картинки с выставки &ndash Воспоминание о Викторе Гартмане Kartinki s vystavki &ndash Vospominaniye

However, "often, we must go from a textual given to a more abstract representation of the chords being used," as in Claude Debussy's Première Arabesque. The chords on the second stave shown here are abstracted from the notes in the actual piece, shown on the first. "For a sound configuration to be recognized as a chord, it must have a certain duration. "

Goldman (1965, p. Achille-Claude Debussy (aʃil klod dəbysi (August 22 1862 &ndash March 25 1918 was a French Composer. 26) elaborates: "the sense of harmonic relation, change, or effect depends on speed (or tempo) as well as on the relative duration of single notes or triadic units. Both absolute time (measurable length and speed) and relative time (proportion and division) must at all times be taken into account in harmonic thinking or analysis. "

References

• Dahlhaus, Carl. Gjerdingen, Robert O. trans. (1990). Studies in the Origin of Harmonic Tonality, p. 67. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09135-8.
• Goldman (1965). Cited in Nattiez (1990).
• Jones, George T. (1994). HarperCollins College Outline Music Theory. ISBN 0064671682.
• Károlyi, Otto ({{}}). Introducing Music. England: Penguin Books.
• Nattiez, Jean-Jacques (1990). Music and Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music (Musicologie générale et sémiologue, 1987). Translated by Carolyn Abbate (1990). ISBN 0-691-02714-5.
• Norman Monath, Norman (1984). How To Play Popular Piano In 10 Easy Lessons. Fireside Books. ISBN 0671530674.
• Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, eds. (2001). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. ISBN 1561592390.
• Surmani, Andrew (2004). Essentials of Music Theory: A Complete Self-Study Course for All Musicians. ISBN 0739036351.

Further reading

• Twentieth Century Harmony: Creative Aspects and Practice by Vincent Persichetti, ISBN 0-393-09539-8. Vincent Ludwig Persichetti ( June 6, 1915 &ndash August 14, 1987) was an American Composer, teacher and Pianist.
• Benward, Bruce & Saker, Marilyn (2002). Music in Theory and Practice, Volumes I & II (7th ed. ). New York: McGraw Hill. ISBN 0-07-294262-2.
• Piston, Walter (1987). Harmony (5th ed. ). New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-95480-3.

See also

• Chord notation
• Chord chart
• Chord progression
• Homophony
• Three-chord song
• Chord building grid
• Ear training

External links

• Morphogenesis of chords and scales Chords and scales classification

Chord notation refers to the written notation for musical chords. A chord chart (or chart) is a form of Musical notation that describes harmonic and Rhythmic information only A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence) is a series of chords played in order In Music, homophony (hoʊˈmɒfəni from Greek "homófonos" where ομοιο = the same and φωνή = a sound tone is a texture in which two or more A three-chord song is a Song whose Music is built around three chords that are played in a certain sequence. Ear training or aural skills is a process by which Musicians learn to identify intervals chords Rhythms and other basic elements of

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