Guitar chord chart

144 chords: every root in twelve chord types. Each page shows several ways to play the chord, from open position up the neck, and opens on the fretboard so you can hear every shape.

Root	maj	m	7	maj7	m7	sus2	sus4	dim	aug	add9	6	9
C	C	Cm	C7	Cmaj7	Cm7	Csus2	Csus4	Cdim	Caug	Cadd9	C6	C9
C♯ / D♭	D♭	C♯m	D♭7	D♭maj7	C♯m7	D♭sus2	D♭sus4	C♯dim	D♭aug	D♭add9	D♭6	D♭9
D	D	Dm	D7	Dmaj7	Dm7	Dsus2	Dsus4	Ddim	Daug	Dadd9	D6	D9
D♯ / E♭	E♭	E♭m	E♭7	E♭maj7	E♭m7	E♭sus2	E♭sus4	D♯dim	E♭aug	E♭add9	E♭6	E♭9
E	E	Em	E7	Emaj7	Em7	Esus2	Esus4	Edim	Eaug	Eadd9	E6	E9
F	F	Fm	F7	Fmaj7	Fm7	Fsus2	Fsus4	Fdim	Faug	Fadd9	F6	F9
F♯ / G♭	F♯	F♯m	F♯7	G♭maj7	F♯m7	F♯sus2	F♯sus4	F♯dim	G♭aug	F♯add9	F♯6	F♯9
G	G	Gm	G7	Gmaj7	Gm7	Gsus2	Gsus4	Gdim	Gaug	Gadd9	G6	G9
G♯ / A♭	A♭	G♯m	A♭7	A♭maj7	G♯m7	A♭sus2	A♭sus4	G♯dim	A♭aug	A♭add9	A♭6	A♭9
A	A	Am	A7	Amaj7	Am7	Asus2	Asus4	Adim	Aaug	Aadd9	A6	A9
A♯ / B♭	B♭	B♭m	B♭7	B♭maj7	B♭m7	B♭sus2	B♭sus4	A♯dim	B♭aug	B♭add9	B♭6	B♭9
B	B	Bm	B7	Bmaj7	Bm7	Bsus2	Bsus4	Bdim	Baug	Badd9	B6	B9

The chord types

Each type is a recipe of intervals stacked on the root. Here they are spelled from C; the same recipe on any other root gives that root's version.

Major 1–3–5

C is C, E and G. Major chords sound settled and bright. They are the I, IV and V of every major key, which is why so many songs get by on three of them.

Minor 1–♭3–5

Cm is C, E♭ and G. Darker and more inward than major. In a major key the ii, iii and vi chords are minor; in a minor key the i and usually the iv are.

Dominant 7th 1–3–5–♭7

C7 is C, E, G and B♭. On its own it sounds unfinished, so in most music it is the V chord that leads home: C7 to F. Blues is the exception. There every chord can be a dominant 7th and nothing has to resolve.

Major 7th 1–3–5–7

Cmaj7 is C, E, G and B. Soft, open and a little wistful. It works as a I or IV chord and turns up constantly in jazz, bossa nova, soul and soft rock.

Minor 7th 1–♭3–5–♭7

Cm7 is C, E♭, G and B♭. Mellower than a straight minor chord. It is the ii in the ii–V–I that jazz is built on, and the default minor chord in funk and R&B.

Suspended 2nd 1–2–5

Csus2 is C, D and G. Open and airy, slightly unresolved. Players use it as a decoration on a major or minor chord, lifting or adding one finger to get there, and as a chord in its own right in ambient and indie music.

Suspended 4th 1–4–5

Csus4 is C, F and G. Tense in a way that asks to resolve. The classic move is sus4 to major on the same root, which you'll hear at the end of hymns and in plenty of rock intros.

Diminished 1–♭3–♭5

Cdim is C, E♭ and G♭. Tight and unsettled, and it rarely stays put. It is the vii° chord of a major key, and as a passing chord it bridges two chords a whole step apart.

Augmented 1–3–♯5

Caug is C, E and G♯. Dreamy and unresolved, a major chord with its 5th pushing upward. You mostly hear it in passing: between I and IV, or in a line cliché where the 5th climbs a half step at a time.

Added 9th 1–3–5–9

Cadd9 is C, E, G and D. Brighter than a plain major chord, with a bit of shimmer from the 9th. Acoustic players lean on it because add9 shapes often keep fingers anchored between changes: Cadd9 played x32033 shares its top two notes, D and G, with the G shape 320033.

Major 6th 1–3–5–6

C6 is C, E, G and A. Sweet and a little vintage. It is a common last chord in swing, and the major-to-6th shuffle is a rock and roll rhythm part all by itself.

Dominant 9th 1–3–5–♭7–9

C9 is C, E, G, B♭ and D. Smooth, with some bite from the ♭7. It is the classic funk rhythm chord, and in blues it stands in for a plain dominant 7th.