Schroeder - Harmony and theory. A Comprehensive Source for All Musicians

Taking into account the many ways in which chords may be symbolized, here are some general rules and recommendations worth noting.

• When no symbol follows the chord letter, a major triad is assumede.g., the symbol C by itself stands for a C major triad.
• The numbers 7, 9, or 13 alone next to the chord letter means that the chord is a dominant-quality chorde.g., C9 is C dominant ninth.
• The symbol ma, meaning major, is never used with a chord letter alone, as in Cma. It is always used together with 7, 9, or 13, as in Cma7, Cma9, or Cma13, and means that the chord includes a major seventh.
• The symbol for a minor triad is the letter name of the chord plus mi, as in Cmi. The same symbol is used together with numbers to indicate other minor-quality chords such as Cmi7, Cmi6/9, Cmi11, etc.
• If the seventh is present in a chord, added tones are numbered as extensions. For example, adding a sixth to a C7 chord results in C13. If the seventh is not present, the added tone is numbered as a simple interval, e.g., C6.
• Chords with extensions are symbolized by the highest extension present in the chord. For example, C13 indicates a dominant seventh chord quality with an added thirteenth. (The other extensions may or may not actually be voiced in the chord, depending on other factors.)
• The symbol + refers to the augmented fifth only, not an augmented ninth or eleventh. For example, the symbol C+9 means C dominant 9 augmented fifth, not C augmented ninth.
• All alterations are written in parentheses, such as Cmi7( 5). When more than one alteration is present, they are shown one above the other, with the largest alteration on top, such as ).
• 11 chords may contain a natural fifth degree, but 5 chords do not.
• Eleventh chords may contain a third, but sus chords do not.

TRIADS

SYMBOL	NAME	AVOID
C	C major	Cma, Cmaj
Cmi	C minor	C-, Cmin, Cm
C+	C augmented	C(#5), Caug, C+5
C	C diminished	Cdim, C(no7)
Csus	C suspended fourth	C(addF), C( 3)

SEVENTH CHORDS

SYMBOL	NAME	AVOID
Cma7	C major seventh	C7, C, C7+, CM7
Cmi7	C minor seventh	C-7, Cm7, Cmin7
C7	C dominant seventh	C7, C(+7), C( 7)
C+7	C dominant seventh augmented fifth	Caug7, C7( 5)
C7	C diminished seventh	Cdim7, Cm6( 5)
Cmi7( 5)	C minor seventh (flat five)	C, C-7(-5), C
Cmi(ma7)	C minor (major seventh)	Cmin, C-7
C7sus	C seventh suspended fourth	C7 4

ALTERED CHORDS

SYMBOL	NAME	AVOID
Cma9( 5)	C major ninth	C9(-5),
Cma13( 11)	C major thirteenth (sharp eleven)
C7( 9)	C dominant seventh (flat nine)	C7-9, C 9
	C dominant ninth (flat 13, sharp 11)
	C dominantthirteenth (sharp 11, flat nine)
C+7( 9)	C augmented seventh (sharp nine)

TRIADS WITH ADDED NOTES