Classical Piano Chords

Tonal music is built from triads and the sevenths that connect them, plus the diminished chords that let a piece slip between keys. These are the chords behind the standard repertoire and behind every harmony exam, and they are worth knowing by their function as much as by their notes.

72 chords carry this tag, across 6 chord types: major, minor, diminished, suspended 4th, diminished 7th, dominant 7th flat 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.

Triads

Three notes. Every one of these is playable with one hand from day one, and between them they cover most of the music anybody starts out learning.

Major Chords

The most common chords in music. Major chords sound bright, happy, and resolved.

C
C – E – G
Db
Db – F – Ab
D
D – F# – A
Eb
Eb – G – Bb
E
E – G# – B
F
F – A – C
F#
F# – A# – C#
G
G – B – D
Ab
Ab – C – Eb
A
A – C# – E
Bb
Bb – D – F
B
B – D# – F#

Minor Chords

Minor chords have a darker, sadder, and more contemplative sound than major chords.

Cm
C – Eb – G
C#m
C# – E – G#
Dm
D – F – A
Ebm
Eb – Gb – Bb
Em
E – G – B
Fm
F – Ab – C
F#m
F# – A – C#
Gm
G – Bb – D
G#m
G# – B – D#
Am
A – C – E
Bbm
Bb – Db – F
Bm
B – D – F#

Diminished Chords

Diminished chords sound tense and unstable, often used as passing chords.

Cdim
C – Eb – Gb
C#dim
C# – E – G
Ddim
D – F – Ab
D#dim
D# – F# – A
Edim
E – G – Bb
Fdim
F – Ab – Cb
F#dim
F# – A – C
Gdim
G – Bb – Db
G#dim
G# – B – D
Adim
A – C – Eb
A#dim
A# – C# – E
Bdim
B – D – F

Suspended 4th Chords

Suspended 4th chords create expectation and are often resolved to a major chord.

Csus4
C – F – G
Dbsus4
Db – Gb – Ab
Dsus4
D – G – A
Ebsus4
Eb – Ab – Bb
Esus4
E – A – B
Fsus4
F – Bb – C
F#sus4
F# – B – C#
Gsus4
G – C – D
Absus4
Ab – Db – Eb
Asus4
A – D – E
Bbsus4
Bb – Eb – F
Bsus4
B – E – F#

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.

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
Ddim7
D – F – Ab – Cb
D#dim7
D# – F# – A – C
Edim7
E – G – Bb – Db
Fdim7
F – Ab – Cb – Ebb
F#dim7
F# – A – C – Eb
Gdim7
G – Bb – Db – Fb
G#dim7
G# – B – D – F
Adim7
A – C – Eb – Gb
A#dim7
A# – C# – E – G
Bdim7
B – D – F – Ab

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 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

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.