Gospel & Soul Piano Chords

Gospel and soul piano fills every chord out. The seventh is assumed, the ninth is usually there, and the plain triad turns up mostly as a passing moment on the way to something fuller. These are the chords that make a single held bar sound like an arrangement rather than a placeholder.

120 chords carry this tag, across 10 chord types: dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th, six-nine, add 9, dominant 9th, major 9th, minor 9th, dominant 11th, dominant 13th. 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.

Dominant 7th Chords

Dominant 7th chords add tension and are essential in blues, jazz, and rock music.

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

Major 7th Chords

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

Cmaj7
C – E – G – B
Dbmaj7
Db – F – Ab – C
Dmaj7
D – F# – A – C#
Ebmaj7
Eb – G – Bb – D
Emaj7
E – G# – B – D#
Fmaj7
F – A – C – E
F#maj7
F# – A# – C# – E#
Gmaj7
G – B – D – F#
Abmaj7
Ab – C – Eb – G
Amaj7
A – C# – E – G#
Bbmaj7
Bb – D – F – A
Bmaj7
B – D# – F# – A#

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

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.

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.

Cadd9
C – E – G – D
Dbadd9
Db – F – Ab – Eb
Dadd9
D – F# – A – E
Ebadd9
Eb – G – Bb – F
Eadd9
E – G# – B – F#
Fadd9
F – A – C – G
F#add9
F# – A# – C# – G#
Gadd9
G – B – D – A
Abadd9
Ab – C – Eb – Bb
Aadd9
A – C# – E – B
Bbadd9
Bb – D – F – C
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#

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.