Advanced Piano Chords

The demanding end of the library: chords that span more than an octave, chords with an altered ninth, and the fully diminished family. Read the two-hand voicing on each page rather than trying to grab every written note with one hand, because that is what a player would actually do.

137 chords carry this tag, across 16 chord types: major 7th, minor 7th, half-diminished 7th, diminished 7th, minor-major 7th, major 6th, minor 6th, six-nine, add 9, dominant 9th, major 9th, minor 9th, dominant 11th, dominant 13th, dominant 7th flat 9, dominant 7th sharp 9. Each one has its notes spelled for that key, a fingering worked out from its own shape, a staff, and a keyboard you can hear it on.

Seventh chords

A triad with a fourth note stacked on top. Sevenths are where harmony stops being just bright or dark and starts having a direction it wants to go.

Major 7th Chords

Major 7th chords sound smooth and jazzy, common in bossa nova and R&B.

F#maj7
F# – A# – C# – E#
Bmaj7
B – D# – F# – A#

Minor 7th Chords

Minor 7th chords blend sadness with sophistication. A staple of jazz and neo-soul.

Ebm7
Eb – Gb – Bb – Db
G#m7
G# – B – D# – F#
Bbm7
Bb – Db – F – Ab

Half-Diminished 7th Chords

Half-diminished chords are hollow and unresolved. Every minor two-five starts on one.

Cm7b5
C – Eb – Gb – Bb
Ebm7b5
Eb – Gb – Bbb – Db
Fm7b5
F – Ab – Cb – Eb
Gm7b5
G – Bb – Db – F
G#m7b5
G# – B – D – F#
Bbm7b5
Bb – Db – Fb – Ab

Diminished 7th Chords

Diminished 7th chords are highly dramatic, a favorite in classical and jazz.

Cdim7
C – Eb – Gb – Bbb
C#dim7
C# – E – G – Bb
D#dim7
D# – F# – A – C
Edim7
E – G – Bb – Db
F#dim7
F# – A – C – Eb
Gdim7
G – Bb – Db – Fb
Adim7
A – C – Eb – Gb
A#dim7
A# – C# – E – G

Minor-Major 7th Chords

Minor-major 7th chords sound uneasy rather than sad, a staple of suspense scoring.

C#mMaj7
C# – E – G# – B#
EbmMaj7
Eb – Gb – Bb – D
F#mMaj7
F# – A – C# – E#
GmMaj7
G – Bb – D – F#
G#mMaj7
G# – B – D# – F##
BbmMaj7
Bb – Db – F – A
BmMaj7
B – D – F# – A#

Added-note chords

Triads with an extra colour note and no seventh. They stay consonant, which is why pop, gospel and film writing lean on them so hard.

Major 6th Chords

Major 6th chords have a warm, nostalgic quality popular in jazz and oldies.

Db6
Db – F – Ab – Bb
F#6
F# – A# – C# – D#
B6
B – D# – F# – G#

Minor 6th Chords

Minor 6th chords are bittersweet and expressive, used in jazz and bossa nova.

C#m6
C# – E – G# – A#
Ebm6
Eb – Gb – Bb – C
F#m6
F# – A – C# – D#
G#m6
G# – B – D# – E#
Bbm6
Bb – Db – F – G
Bm6
B – D – F# – G#

Six-Nine Chords

Six-nine chords sound plush and completely settled, which is why arrangers end on them.

C6/9
C – E – G – A – D
Db6/9
Db – F – Ab – Bb – Eb
D6/9
D – F# – A – B – E
Eb6/9
Eb – G – Bb – C – F
E6/9
E – G# – B – C# – F#
F6/9
F – A – C – D – G
F#6/9
F# – A# – C# – D# – G#
G6/9
G – B – D – E – A
Ab6/9
Ab – C – Eb – F – Bb
A6/9
A – C# – E – F# – B
Bb6/9
Bb – D – F – G – C
B6/9
B – D# – F# – G# – C#

Add 9 Chords

Add9 chords are bright and shimmering, a modern pop and worship music staple.

Dbadd9
Db – F – Ab – Eb
Ebadd9
Eb – G – Bb – F
Eadd9
E – G# – B – F#
F#add9
F# – A# – C# – G#
Abadd9
Ab – C – Eb – Bb
Badd9
B – D# – F# – C#

Extended chords

Ninths, elevenths and thirteenths. These are wider than one hand, so each page shows the two-hand voicing a player actually uses rather than a stack of five notes in a row.

Dominant 9th Chords

Dominant 9th chords are rich and funky, essential in funk, R&B, and jazz.

C9
C – E – G – Bb – D
Db9
Db – F – Ab – Cb – Eb
D9
D – F# – A – C – E
Eb9
Eb – G – Bb – Db – F
E9
E – G# – B – D – F#
F9
F – A – C – Eb – G
F#9
F# – A# – C# – E – G#
G9
G – B – D – F – A
Ab9
Ab – C – Eb – Gb – Bb
A9
A – C# – E – G – B
Bb9
Bb – D – F – Ab – C
B9
B – D# – F# – A – C#

Major 9th Chords

Major 9th chords are the major 7th with one more note of colour stacked on top.

Cmaj9
C – E – G – B – D
Dbmaj9
Db – F – Ab – C – Eb
Dmaj9
D – F# – A – C# – E
Ebmaj9
Eb – G – Bb – D – F
Emaj9
E – G# – B – D# – F#
Fmaj9
F – A – C – E – G
F#maj9
F# – A# – C# – E# – G#
Gmaj9
G – B – D – F# – A
Abmaj9
Ab – C – Eb – G – Bb
Amaj9
A – C# – E – G# – B
Bbmaj9
Bb – D – F – A – C
Bmaj9
B – D# – F# – A# – C#

Minor 9th Chords

Minor 9th chords are smoky and relaxed, the backbone of neo-soul and bossa nova.

Cm9
C – Eb – G – Bb – D
C#m9
C# – E – G# – B – D#
Dm9
D – F – A – C – E
Ebm9
Eb – Gb – Bb – Db – F
Em9
E – G – B – D – F#
Fm9
F – Ab – C – Eb – G
F#m9
F# – A – C# – E – G#
Gm9
G – Bb – D – F – A
G#m9
G# – B – D# – F# – A#
Am9
A – C – E – G – B
Bbm9
Bb – Db – F – Ab – C
Bm9
B – D – F# – A – C#

Dominant 11th Chords

Dominant 11th chords drop the third, leaving a suspended dominant that floats.

C11
C – G – Bb – D – F
Db11
Db – Ab – Cb – Eb – Gb
D11
D – A – C – E – G
Eb11
Eb – Bb – Db – F – Ab
E11
E – B – D – F# – A
F11
F – C – Eb – G – Bb
F#11
F# – C# – E – G# – B
G11
G – D – F – A – C
Ab11
Ab – Eb – Gb – Bb – Db
A11
A – E – G – B – D
Bb11
Bb – F – Ab – C – Eb
B11
B – F# – A – C# – E

Dominant 13th Chords

Dominant 13th chords are the full swing-era dominant, played across two hands.

C13
C – E – G – Bb – D – A
Db13
Db – F – Ab – Cb – Eb – Bb
D13
D – F# – A – C – E – B
Eb13
Eb – G – Bb – Db – F – C
E13
E – G# – B – D – F# – C#
F13
F – A – C – Eb – G – D
F#13
F# – A# – C# – E – G# – D#
G13
G – B – D – F – A – E
Ab13
Ab – C – Eb – Gb – Bb – F
A13
A – C# – E – G – B – F#
Bb13
Bb – D – F – Ab – C – G
B13
B – D# – F# – A – C# – G#

Dominant 7th Flat 9 Chords

Flat 9 chords are dark and urgent, and they pull hardest into a minor chord.

C7b9
C – E – G – Bb – Db
Db7b9
Db – F – Ab – Cb – Ebb
D7b9
D – F# – A – C – Eb
Eb7b9
Eb – G – Bb – Db – Fb
E7b9
E – G# – B – D – F
F7b9
F – A – C – Eb – Gb
F#7b9
F# – A# – C# – E – G
G7b9
G – B – D – F – Ab
Ab7b9
Ab – C – Eb – Gb – Bbb
A7b9
A – C# – E – G – Bb
Bb7b9
Bb – D – F – Ab – Cb
B7b9
B – D# – F# – A – C

Dominant 7th Sharp 9 Chords

Sharp 9 chords hold the major and minor third at once. The Hendrix chord.

C7#9
C – E – G – Bb – D#
Db7#9
Db – F – Ab – Cb – E
D7#9
D – F# – A – C – E#
Eb7#9
Eb – G – Bb – Db – F#
E7#9
E – G# – B – D – F##
F7#9
F – A – C – Eb – G#
F#7#9
F# – A# – C# – E – G##
G7#9
G – B – D – F – A#
Ab7#9
Ab – C – Eb – Gb – B
A7#9
A – C# – E – G – B#
Bb7#9
Bb – D – F – Ab – C#
B7#9
B – D# – F# – A – C##

Other tags

The same 288 chords, sorted a different way.

StylePop84Jazz192Blues36Rock48Classical72Gospel & Soul120Funk72Film Score96
MoodBright48Dark72Tense96Dreamy72
UseFirst Chords34Songwriting96Passing Chords36Two-Hand Chords108
LevelBeginner54Intermediate97Advanced137

Back to the full chord library for all 288 chords grouped by type.