CHORD CONSTRUCTION


Chords are basically three or more notes taken from the Major scale. These notes can be from the first or second octave of the Major scale.

In the table below we can see that a Major chord is made up of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale, the notes are C, E & G. In this example the chord we make is the C major chord. (Of course if you wanted to make a G major chord you would use the G major scale as your source for notes, the formulas however remain the same.). Note that the 5 chord is really an interval as it only consists of the tonic (1st) & the 5th.

The following table lists all the chord formulas required to make your own chords. After working out which notes are in the chord it is simply a matter of finding a place on the guitar fretboard that lets you play these notes so that the chord sounds good and that is comfortable for your own fingering. It is a lot easier to remember a few chord formulas than to try learning chords out of a 1001 chord book !! Because YOU have worked out the chord for yourself. Not only that but this knowledge is invaluable when you are looking for what scales you can use to improvise over the chords.

Refer to the Intervals Chart to see how easy it is to find many new chords on the fretboard by knowing the Chord Interval Relationships (Chord Formulas) listed below.

Important ! Some notes can be omitted from the chords to enable easier fingering. If the tonic of the chord is being covered by the Bass or the 5th of the chord is unaltered (eg not b5 or #5) they can be left out. Note that 3rds & 7ths should not be left out as they determine whether the chord is major (3rd) or minor (b3rd) or Dominant (b7) or Major (7th). In some cases the 9th can be omitted in 11th or 13th type chords.






Major Chords - Examples using C major FormulaNotes
C5 1 5 C G
C 1 3 5 C E G
C 61 3 5 6 C E G A
C 691 3 5 6 9 C E G A D
C Major 71 3 5 7 C E G B
C Major 7b51 3 b5 7 C E Gb B
C Major 7#111 3 5 7 #11C E G B F#
C Major 91 3 5 7 9 C E G B D
C Major 9b51 3 b5 7 9 C E Gb B D
C Major 7 add 131 3 5 7 13C E G B A
C Major 7 add 13 add 91 3 5 7 9 13C E G B D A



Minor Chords - Examples using C major FormulaNotes
C minor1 b3 5 C Eb G
C minor add Major 71 b3 5 7C Eb G B
C minor 61 b3 5 6 C Eb G A
C minor 6 add Major 71 b3 5 6 7C Eb G A B
C minor 691 b3 5 6 9C Eb G A D
C minor 71 b3 5 b7 C Eb G Bb
C minor 7b51 b3 b5 b7 C Eb Gb Bb
C minor 7b61 b3 5 b6 b7 C Eb G Ab Bb
C minor 7 add 111 b3 5 b7 11C Eb G Bb F
C minor 7b5 add 111 b3 b5 b7 11C Eb Gb Bb F
C minor 7 add 131 b3 5 b7 13C Eb G Bb A
C minor 91 b3 5 b7 9 C Eb G Bb D
C minor 9b51 b3 b5 b7 9 C Eb Gb Bb D
C minor 9 add Major 71 b3 5 7 9 C Eb G B D



Dominant 7th Chords - Examples using C major FormulaNotes
C71 3 5 b7 C E G Bb
C7 sus41 4 5 b7 C F G Bb
C7b51 3 b5 b7C E Gb Bb
C7#51 3 #5 b7 C E G# Bb
C7b91 3 5 b7 b9 C E G Bb Db
C7#91 3 5 b7 #9 C E G Bb D#
C7b5b91 3 b5 b7 b9C E Gb Bb Db
C7#5#91 3 #5 b7 #9C E G# Bb D#
C7b5#91 3 b5 b7 #9C E Gb Bb D#
C7#5b91 3 #5 b7 b9C E G# Bb Db
C91 3 5 b7 9 C E G Bb D
C9b51 3 b5 b7 9C E Gb Bb D
C9#51 3 #5 b7 9C E G# Bb D
C111 3 5 b7 9 11C E G Bb D F
C131 3 5 b7 9 13C E G Bb D A
C13b51 3 b5 b7 9 13C E Gb Bb D A
C13b91 3 5 b7 b9 13C E G Bb Db A



Diminished Chords - Examples using C major FormulaNotes
C Diminished1 b3 b5 C Eb Gb
C Diminished 7th1 b3 b5 bb7 (or 6)C Eb Gb Bbb (or A)



Augmented Chords - Examples using C major FormulaNotes
C Augmented1 3 #5 C E G#
C Augmented 7th1 3 #5 b7 C E G# Bb
C Augmented 9th1 3 #5 b7 9C E G# Bb D