Reading & Writing Chord Symbols
A chord symbol looks cryptic until you know it's just a small, consistent grammar — root, quality, extensions, alterations, and an optional bass note, in that order.
The grammar, piece by piece
Every chord symbol builds from the same template, left to right:
- Root — a letter A–G, plus an optional sharp or flat.
- Quality suffix — blank or "maj" for major, "m" or "-" for minor, "dim" or "o" for diminished, "aug" or "+" for augmented, "sus" for suspended, "add" for an added tone with no 7th implied.
- Extensions — 7, 9, 11, or 13, stacking further up the chord.
- Altered tensions — usually in parentheses, like (b9) or (#11), raising or lowering an extension by a semitone.
- Slash + bass note — an optional "/note" specifying what plays in the bass, whether or not it's already in the chord.
Common questions
What are the parts of a chord symbol?
Root, optional accidental, quality suffix, optional extensions (7/9/11/13), optional altered tensions in parentheses, and an optional slash plus bass note.
What does a blank quality suffix mean?
No suffix defaults to a major triad — "C" alone means C major, same as "Cmaj."
What does a slash mean in a chord symbol?
It specifies the bass note. "C/E" means a C major chord played with E in the bass instead of C.
What's the difference between an extension and an altered tension?
An extension adds an unaltered tone further up the stack; an altered tension raises or lowers one of those tones by a semitone, like b9 or #11.
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