Funk Piano Chords

A funk keyboard part often stays on one chord for a whole section, so the chord has to be interesting enough to survive the repetition. Ninths, elevenths and thirteenths do that: they carry colour in the chord itself, leaving the rhythm to carry everything else.

72 chords carry this tag, across 6 chord types: minor 7th, dominant 9th, minor 9th, dominant 11th, dominant 13th, 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.

Minor 7th Chords

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

Cm7
C – Eb – G – Bb
C#m7
C# – E – G# – B
Dm7
D – F – A – C
Ebm7
Eb – Gb – Bb – Db
Em7
E – G – B – D
Fm7
F – Ab – C – Eb
F#m7
F# – A – C# – E
Gm7
G – Bb – D – F
G#m7
G# – B – D# – F#
Am7
A – C – E – G
Bbm7
Bb – Db – F – Ab
Bm7
B – D – F# – A

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#

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 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.