Piano Chord Chart & Chord Finder
Pick a root and a chord type to see it on the keyboard with its notes, formula and inversions, and hear it. Or switch to the chord finder, click any keys and get the chord's name.
The Piano Chord Chart (printable PDF)
The 7 most-used chord types in all 12 keys drawn on keyboards, plus formulas for 20 chord types. Comes with the free Chord Progression MIDI Pack (864 MIDI files).
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PIANO CHORD CHART PDF → CHORD MIDI PACKPiano chord chart: 7 essential chords in all 12 keys
The notes of the most used chord types in every key, from the bottom up in root position.
| Root | Major | Minor | Dominant 7th | Major 7th | Minor 7th | Diminished | Suspended 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C: C E G | Cm: C E♭ G | C7: C E G B♭ | Cmaj7: C E G B | Cm7: C E♭ G B♭ | Cdim: C E♭ G♭ | Csus4: C F G |
| D♭ / C♯ | D♭: D♭ F A♭ | C♯m: C♯ E G♯ | D♭7: D♭ F A♭ C♭ | D♭maj7: D♭ F A♭ C | C♯m7: C♯ E G♯ B | C♯dim: C♯ E G | D♭sus4: D♭ G♭ A♭ |
| D | D: D F♯ A | Dm: D F A | D7: D F♯ A C | Dmaj7: D F♯ A C♯ | Dm7: D F A C | Ddim: D F A♭ | Dsus4: D G A |
| E♭ / D♯ | E♭: E♭ G B♭ | E♭m: E♭ G♭ B♭ | E♭7: E♭ G B♭ D♭ | E♭maj7: E♭ G B♭ D | E♭m7: E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ | D♯dim: D♯ F♯ A | E♭sus4: E♭ A♭ B♭ |
| E | E: E G♯ B | Em: E G B | E7: E G♯ B D | Emaj7: E G♯ B D♯ | Em7: E G B D | Edim: E G B♭ | Esus4: E A B |
| F | F: F A C | Fm: F A♭ C | F7: F A C E♭ | Fmaj7: F A C E | Fm7: F A♭ C E♭ | Fdim: F A♭ C♭ | Fsus4: F B♭ C |
| F♯ / G♭ | F♯: F♯ A♯ C♯ | F♯m: F♯ A C♯ | F♯7: F♯ A♯ C♯ E | G♭maj7: G♭ B♭ D♭ F | F♯m7: F♯ A C♯ E | F♯dim: F♯ A C | F♯sus4: F♯ B C♯ |
| G | G: G B D | Gm: G B♭ D | G7: G B D F | Gmaj7: G B D F♯ | Gm7: G B♭ D F | Gdim: G B♭ D♭ | Gsus4: G C D |
| A♭ / G♯ | A♭: A♭ C E♭ | G♯m: G♯ B D♯ | A♭7: A♭ C E♭ G♭ | A♭maj7: A♭ C E♭ G | G♯m7: G♯ B D♯ F♯ | G♯dim: G♯ B D | A♭sus4: A♭ D♭ E♭ |
| A | A: A C♯ E | Am: A C E | A7: A C♯ E G | Amaj7: A C♯ E G♯ | Am7: A C E G | Adim: A C E♭ | Asus4: A D E |
| B♭ / A♯ | B♭: B♭ D F | B♭m: B♭ D♭ F | B♭7: B♭ D F A♭ | B♭maj7: B♭ D F A | B♭m7: B♭ D♭ F A♭ | A♯dim: A♯ C♯ E | B♭sus4: B♭ E♭ F |
| B | B: B D♯ F♯ | Bm: B D F♯ | B7: B D♯ F♯ A | Bmaj7: B D♯ F♯ A♯ | Bm7: B D F♯ A | Bdim: B D F | Bsus4: B E F♯ |
Chord types and formulas
Every chord type is a set of intervals above the root. The formula shows which scale degrees of the major scale it uses; ♭ means one semitone lower.
| Chord type | Symbol (on C) | Formula | Notes in C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | C | 1 3 5 | C – E – G |
| Minor | Cm | 1 ♭3 5 | C – E♭ – G |
| Diminished | Cdim | 1 ♭3 ♭5 | C – E♭ – G♭ |
| Augmented | Caug | 1 3 ♯5 | C – E – G♯ |
| Suspended 2nd | Csus2 | 1 2 5 | C – D – G |
| Suspended 4th | Csus4 | 1 4 5 | C – F – G |
| Major 6th | C6 | 1 3 5 6 | C – E – G – A |
| Minor 6th | Cm6 | 1 ♭3 5 6 | C – E♭ – G – A |
| Dominant 7th | C7 | 1 3 5 ♭7 | C – E – G – B♭ |
| Major 7th | Cmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | C – E – G – B |
| Minor 7th | Cm7 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 | C – E♭ – G – B♭ |
| Half-diminished (m7♭5) | Cm7♭5 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7 | C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭ |
| Diminished 7th | Cdim7 | 1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7 | C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭♭ (A) |
| Minor-major 7th | Cm(maj7) | 1 ♭3 5 7 | C – E♭ – G – B |
| Dominant 7th sus4 | C7sus4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | C – F – G – B♭ |
| Add 9 | Cadd9 | 1 3 5 9 | C – E – G – D |
| Minor add 9 | Cm(add9) | 1 ♭3 5 9 | C – E♭ – G – D |
| Dominant 9th | C9 | 1 3 5 ♭7 9 | C – E – G – B♭ – D |
| Major 9th | Cmaj9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | C – E – G – B – D |
| Minor 9th | Cm9 | 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9 | C – E♭ – G – B♭ – D |
How to use chords in your own songs
- Start with triads. Major and minor chords carry almost every pop song. The circle of fifths shows which ones belong to your key.
- Add colour with 7ths and 9ths. A maj7 or m9 instead of a plain triad makes the same progression sound like R&B or neo-soul.
- Use inversions to move smoothly. Pick the inversion of the next chord that keeps your hand closest. It sounds more connected and is easier to play.
- Sus chords delay the resolution. Play a sus4 before the major chord on the same root for a classic lift.
Skip the voicing work
MIDI Pack PRO has 113 chord progressions from hit songs, standards and moods already voiced in 6 playing styles (7th chords, piano stabs, arpeggios, ballad piano, pads) in all 12 keys: 8,136 MIDI files for $9.
Quick answers
What are the basic piano chord types?
The four triads: major (1 3 5), minor (1 ♭3 5), diminished (1 ♭3 ♭5) and augmented (1 3 ♯5). Adding a seventh gives the main seventh chords: dominant 7 (1 3 5 ♭7), major 7 (1 3 5 7), minor 7 (1 ♭3 5 ♭7) and half-diminished (1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7).
How do you build a chord on the piano?
Start on the root and count semitones (keys, black and white): a major chord is root + 4 + 3 semitones (C–E–G), a minor chord is root + 3 + 4 (C–E♭–G). Seventh chords add one more note on top.
What is a chord inversion?
The same chord with a different note at the bottom. C major in root position is C–E–G, first inversion E–G–C and second inversion G–C–E. Inversions let you move between chords with less hand movement.
What chord is C E G B?
C major 7 (Cmaj7). Use the chord finder above: click any keys and it names the chord, including inversions and slash chords.
What is the difference between C7 and Cmaj7?
C7 (dominant 7th) has a flat 7th: C–E–G–B♭. Cmaj7 has a major 7th: C–E–G–B. C7 sounds bluesy and wants to resolve; Cmaj7 sounds soft and settled.