Triad Chord Chart
A triad is the most fundamental chord — just 3 notes: a root, a 3rd, and a 5th. There are 4 types: Major (bright), minor (dark), diminished° (tense), and augmented+ (dreamy/unsettled). Select a key to see all 7 diatonic triads and their notes — these are the chords you'll use most in that key.
Diminished Chords — Tension That Wants to Move
A diminished triad is two minor 3rds stacked: root – ♭3 – ♭5. That shrunken 5th (a tritone from the root) makes it the most unstable triad there is — it sounds tense, dark and restless, and it almost always wants to resolve up a half step.
The three diminished family chords
Diminished triad 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 · B° = B D F
▶ B°
Half-diminished 7th (m7♭5) 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭7 · Bø7 = B D F A
▶ Bø7
Fully diminished 7th 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 – ♭♭7 · B°7 = B D F A♭
▶ B°7
Where they live in a key
In a major key the diminished chord is the vii° — B° in C major. Add the 7th and it's viiø7 (Bø7).
In a minor key it's the ii° — B° in A minor. And with the raised 7th of harmonic minor you get the dramatic vii°7: G#°7 in A minor.
Notice they all point at home: B° leans into C, G#°7 leans into A.
Three ways to use them
1 · Leading chord. Put vii° right before I — the B wants to rise to C.
▶ B° → C
2 · Passing chord. Slide between two chords a whole step apart with a °7 in the middle — the bass walks chromatically C → C# → D.
▶ C → C#°7 → Dm
3 · Minor-key drama. Swap V for vii°7 for a darker pull back to i.
▶ Am → G#°7 → Am
WHY °7 CHORDS ARE SPECIAL: A fully diminished 7th is built from four equal minor 3rds, so every inversion is another °7 chord. There are only three different °7 chords in all of music — and each one can resolve to four different keys. That's why they're a favourite pivot for modulation.
IN BEATS: Dark trap and horror melodies love the diminished sound — an arpeggio of B–D–F–G# over a minor bass instantly sounds sinister.
▶ Sinister arpeggio
Augmented Chords
An augmented chord is a major triad with the 5th raised by a semitone. Where a major chord has a perfect 5th (7 semitones), an augmented chord has an augmented 5th (8 semitones). Written as C+ or Caug. Formula: 1 – 3 – ♯5.
Sound & Character
Augmented chords sound tense, unstable, and dreamlike — neither resolved nor darkly dissonant. Because the three notes divide the octave into three equal parts (major 3rd + major 3rd + major 3rd = 12 semitones), every note of an augmented chord can act as the root. C+, E+, and G#+ all contain the same three pitches.
They are most commonly used as a passing chord — particularly between I and I6 (first inversion), or as an altered V chord (V+) that creates additional tension before resolving to I.
Augmented vs Major vs Diminished
| Type | Formula | 5th | C example |
|---|
| Major | 1 – 3 – 5 | Perfect (7 st) | C – E – G |
| Augmented | 1 – 3 – ♯5 | Augmented (8 st) | C – E – G# |
| Minor | 1 – ♭3 – 5 | Perfect (7 st) | C – Eb – G |
| Diminished | 1 – ♭3 – ♭5 | Diminished (6 st) | C – Eb – Gb |
PIANO TIP:
On the piano, play a major chord then raise the top note (the 5th) by one key. That's your augmented chord. Try C–E–G, then C–E–G# — hear how it floats unresolved? Now resolve it to F major (F–A–C) — that's the classic I+ → IV motion used in gospel and soul.
Augmented Chord Reference — All Keys
Double Sharps & Double Flats
These accidentals arise naturally when spelling augmented chords and other complex harmonies correctly. They are a matter of music notation convention — keeping each letter name appearing exactly once in a scale or chord.
Double Sharp (𝄪 or ×)
Raises a note by two semitones (a whole step). Written as 𝄪 or × before the note. Sounds the same as the natural note one whole step up.
| Written | Sounds Like | Context |
|---|
| F𝄪 | G | G# harmonic minor (raised 7th = F𝄪) |
| C𝄪 | D | B augmented chord (B–D#–F𝄪) |
| G𝄪 | A | E aug chord spelled correctly |
Why not just write G instead of F𝄪? In a chord or scale built on a G# root, the 3rd must be a B (some kind of B), and the 5th must be a D (some kind of D). Using G would violate the "one letter per degree" rule and create a written chord with two G's, making it unreadable in notation. The double sharp preserves the letter sequence.
Double Flat (𝄫 or bb)
Lowers a note by two semitones (a whole step). Written as 𝄫 or bb before the note. Sounds the same as the natural note one whole step down.
| Written | Sounds Like | Context |
|---|
| B𝄫 | A | Diminished 7th chord on C (C–Eb–Gb–B𝄫) |
| E𝄫 | D | Db diminished chord |
| A𝄫 | G | Bb diminished chord (Bb–Db–A𝄫) |
Why not just write A instead of B𝄫? In the key of Cb major, B𝄫 is the 7th scale degree — it must be spelled as some kind of B to preserve the letter sequence B–C–D–E–F–G–A–B. Writing A would create a scale with two A's and no B, which breaks the notation system. Double flats are most common in flat-heavy keys and diminished 7th chords.
Chord Inversions
An inversion is the same chord with a different note in the bass (lowest position). The chord keeps its identity — same notes, same name — but its colour, smoothness, and voice-leading change. Inversions are essential on piano for moving smoothly between chords with minimal hand movement.
WHY INVERSIONS MATTER:
Instead of jumping your hand across the keyboard between chords, inversions let you keep common notes in place and move only what's needed. Going from C (C–E–G) to F (F–A–C), use F's 2nd inversion (C–F–A) — the C stays put and your hand barely moves. This is the secret to smooth, professional-sounding chord playing.
How Inversions Work
Take the lowest note and move it up an octave. Repeat to get each successive inversion. A triad (3 notes) has 3 positions; a 7th chord (4 notes) has 4.
Inversion Notation Reference
| Inversion | Bass Note | Triad Figure | 7th Chord Figure | Slash Notation (C) |
|---|
| Root Position | Root (1) | 5/3 | 7 | C |
| 1st Inversion | 3rd | 6/3 (or "6") | 6/5 | C/E |
| 2nd Inversion | 5th | 6/4 | 4/3 | C/G |
| 3rd Inversion | 7th | — (triads only have 3) | 4/2 (or "2") | C/B♭ |
SLASH CHORDS:
In modern notation, inversions are written as "slash chords" — the chord name, a slash, then the bass note. C/E means a C major chord with E in the bass (1st inversion). C/G means C major with G in the bass (2nd inversion). The figures (6/3, 6/4, etc.) come from classical figured bass notation.
7th Chord Chart
Add a 4th note (the 7th scale degree) to a triad and you get a 7th chord — richer, more complex, and essential for jazz, soul, and R&B. The Maj7 sounds lush and smooth; the Dom7 (dominant 7th) is tense and wants to resolve back to the I chord; the m7 is soulful and mellow. Select a key to see all diatonic 7th chords.
Sus, Add & Power Chords
Beyond triads and 7ths, these chord types are essential for modern music. They add colour, texture, and emotion without the full complexity of extended harmony.
Suspended Chords (Sus2 & Sus4)
A suspended chord replaces the 3rd with either the 2nd or 4th. Removing the 3rd means the chord is neither major nor minor — it sounds open and unresolved, "suspended" in the air, waiting to move. The sus4 is the most common and typically resolves down to the major chord.
Sus2 — Formula: 1 – 2 – 5
Replace the 3rd with the 2nd. Open, airy, atmospheric. Very common in pop, ambient, and new-age music.
Sus4 — Formula: 1 – 4 – 5
Replace the 3rd with the 4th. Creates tension that wants to resolve to the major chord. The 4th "wants" to step down to the 3rd.
Add Chords (Add9 & Add2)
An add chord adds a note to a triad without creating a full 7th chord. The 3rd is kept (unlike sus chords). Add9 is the most popular — it adds warmth and sophistication to a major or minor chord without the complexity of a 9th chord (which implies all intervening extensions).
Add9 — Formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – 9 (= 2 up an octave)
Lush, open, modern. The 9th adds colour without dissonance. Extremely common in pop, R&B, and neo-soul piano.
Minor Add9 — Formula: 1 – ♭3 – 5 – 9
Same as add9 but with a minor 3rd. Expressive and emotional — widely used in film scores and introspective pop.
Power Chords (5th Chords)
A power chord uses only the root and perfect 5th — no 3rd at all. Because there's no 3rd, it is neither major nor minor. This ambiguity, combined with the strength of the perfect 5th interval, gives it a powerful, neutral sound that works perfectly with distortion. Written as C5. Formula: 1 – 5 (sometimes with the octave: 1 – 5 – 8).
PIANO NOTE:
Power chords are most associated with electric guitar, but on piano they create a strong, open sound useful for bass-register figures, left-hand accompaniment, and minimalist arrangements. Play root + 5th in the left hand while the right hand plays melody for a clean, uncluttered texture.
Extended Chords — 9ths, 11ths & 13ths
Triads use 3 notes; 7th chords add a 4th. Extended chords keep stacking thirds past the 7th — the 9th, 11th, and 13th. These are the lush, jazzy, neo-soul colors that make a simple progression sound expensive.
The 9th — add the 2nd, an octave up
A 9th chord is a 7th chord plus the 9th (the same note name as the 2nd). The flavor depends on which 7th you start from:
▶ Cmaj9 · dreamy▶ C9 · funky▶ Cm9 · soulful
11ths & 13ths
Keep climbing: the 11th adds the 4th, the 13th adds the 6th. You rarely play every note — keep the color tones (3rd, 7th, and the extension) and drop the rest. On a dominant chord the 3rd and the natural 11th clash, so producers usually drop the 3rd or raise the 11th (♯11).
▶ C11 · no 3rd▶ C13
PRODUCER TIP: Spread the notes across octaves instead of cramming them low and close — extensions get muddy down low. Root at the bottom, color tones up high.
