Jazz Chord Symbols Explained (all the types of chord you need to know)

In jazz, there are just 6 types of chord that really exist, and every complicated-looking chord can be boiled down to one of these simple chords at its foundation:

In this article I'll show you:

  • The 6 types of chord that jazz is made of.

  • How to add chord extensions on top of these 6 chords (9ths, 11ths, 13ths).

  • The difference between 6th and 13th chords explained! ('C6' vs 'C13').

The 6 Types Of Jazz Chord

Virtually all types of jazz chord boil down to a 7th chord at their core...

Chord extensions can always be added (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) but these are just decoration on top. At the bottom of it all, there’ll always be a simple type of 7th chord.

Here are the 6 types of 7th chord which exist:

  • C major 7 (C E G B), can be written as ‘CΔ’, 'C maj 7’, ‘C ma 7’.
  • C minor 7 (C Eb G Bb), can be written as ‘C-7’, ’Cm7’, ’C min 7’, ‘C mi 7’.
  • C dominant 7 (C E G Bb), written as ‘C7’.
  • C half-diminished (C Eb Gb Bb), written as ‘Cø’, ‘C min 7 b5’, ‘C-7b5’.
  • C diminished 7 (C Eb Gb A), written as ‘Cº7’
  • C minor-major 7 (C Eb G B), written as ‘C min Δ’, ‘C-Δ’.

6th Chords

In addition to these 7th chords, 6th chords are sometimes used in place of a 7th chord.

There are just two types of 6th chord that exist - major 6 chords and minor 6 chords:

In each of these chords, the 6th is played instead of the 7th (not in addition to the 7th).

6th chords function the same way as 7th chords, but they have a softer sound. In fact, you can ‘reharmonize’ any song and play a 6th chord instead of the 7th chord that’s written. Only do this to a major 7 or minor 7 chord when it's the I chord.

FREE RESOURCE: You can download my free ‘Chord Symbol Reference Guide' which shows you ALL types of jazz chord on one page. Get it here!

Chord Extensions Explained

‘Chord extensions’ are the 9th, 11th and 13th - known as the 'extended harmony'. These notes can be added to any of the 6 chord types we’ve looked at.

You can add one, two, or all three chord extensions to any chord - whether or not it's written in the lead sheet's chord symbol.

In fact, most of the chords in a lead sheet will not specify to add chord extensions. Most chords are written as 7th chords - which makes it easy for the player to read at speed, and allows you, the pianist, to add chord extensions based on your own taste.

How do you figure out what the extended harmony notes are?

To find the 9th, 11th, or 13th - just imagine a major scale running up from the chord’s root note.

So for a C7 chord, you’d walk up the notes of C major scale to find each extended note:

  • The 2nd of the scale is also the 9th = D.
  • The 4th of the scale is also the 11th = F.
  • The 6th of the scale is also the 13th = A.

The chord extensions are always built from the major scale - regardless of which type of chord it is - even for minor 7 chords, V7 chords, and so on.

Altered Chord Extensions

Sometimes you'll want to play 'altered chord extensions' - which means the 9th, 11th or 13th has been sharpened or flattened (e.g. 'C7b9', 'C7#11', 'C7b13').

If you need to play an altered chord extension, just find the natural chord extension first (by running up the major scale), and then flatten it or sharpen it:

Altered extensions are most common over V7 chords. So over C7 you can expect the four altered extensions shown above (flat 9, sharp 9, sharp 11, flat 13).

Summary

Well done, you made it! In this jazz piano lesson we covered:

  • The 6 types of jazz chord (maj 7, min 7, V7, ø, º7, min-maj 7) - all jazz chords boil down to one of these 7th chords.
  • 6th chords - can be substituted for major 7 or minor 7 chords, but still function the same as a 7th chord.
  • Chord extensions (9ths, 11ths, 13ths) - can be added to any chord. Chord extensions are always built from the major scale.
  • Altered chord extensions (b9, #9, #11, b13) - most common over V7 chords. Find the natural extension first (from the major scale), then flatten / sharpen it.

Free Jazz Piano Resources

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  • The Jazz Piano Chord Voicing Guide (ebook)

  • Instagram Jazz Piano Riffs (sheet music + MIDI)

  • Jazz Chords Ultimate Guide

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About the Author

Julian Bradley is a jazz pianist and music educator from the U.K. He has a masters degree in music from Bristol University, and has played with and composed for a variety of big bands.
Julian runs the popular Jazz Tutorial YouTube channel and writes educational jazz lessons at JazzTutorial.com