Guitar Chords

Start with these

• C
• G
• D
• A
• E
• F
• Am
• Em
• Dm
• Bm

Chord types explained

major

Major chords sound bright and settled. They are built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth, and they carry most of the resolution points in pop, rock and folk.

m — minor

Minor chords sound darker than major ones because the third is lowered by a semitone. They carry the melancholic colour in most songs and pair naturally with their relative major.

5 — power chord

Power chords drop the third entirely, leaving only the root and the fifth. Because they are neither major nor minor, they stay clean under high gain and are the backbone of rock and metal riffs.

7 — dominant 7th

Dominant seventh chords add a minor seventh on top of a major triad. The tension between the third and the seventh is what makes them pull towards the chord a fourth above — the engine of blues and jazz turnarounds.

maj7 — major 7th

Major seventh chords keep the bright major triad but add the leading tone a semitone below the root. The result is the soft, floating sound heard throughout bossa nova, soul and neo-soul.

m7 — minor 7th

Minor seventh chords soften the plain minor triad with a minor seventh. They are the standard ii chord in jazz progressions and sit comfortably under vocals in R&B and funk.

sus4 — suspended 4th

Suspended fourth chords replace the third with a fourth, so they sound unresolved on purpose. Releasing the fourth back down to the third is one of the oldest and most satisfying moves in songwriting.

add9 — added 9th

Add9 chords keep the full major triad and add the ninth without a seventh. The extra note widens the chord without making it sound jazzy, which is why it is everywhere in modern acoustic pop.

sus2 — suspended 2nd

Suspended second chords swap the third for a second, giving an open, airy sound. Guitarists often let one shape ring across several bars because it fits over both major and minor harmony.

7sus4 — dominant 7th suspended 4th

The 7sus4 chord combines the suspended fourth with a minor seventh. It delays resolution while keeping the dominant pull, which makes it a favourite setup chord before a V–I move.

7♯9 — dominant 7th sharp 9

Often called the Hendrix chord, the 7♯9 stacks a sharpened ninth over a dominant seventh. Major and minor thirds sound at once, producing the gritty clash that defines psychedelic rock and funk.

9 — dominant 9th

Dominant ninth chords extend the dominant seventh with a ninth on top. They keep the pull of a seventh chord but sound fuller and more coloured, which is why funk and soul rhythm parts lean on them.

dim — diminished

Diminished triads stack two minor thirds, so both the third and the fifth are lowered. The result is unstable and restless, and it usually appears as a passing chord between two stable ones.

dim7 — diminished 7th

Diminished seventh chords divide the octave into four equal minor thirds. Every inversion sounds the same, so a single shape can be slid up the neck to lead into several different keys.

7♭5 — dominant 7th flat 5

The 7♭5 chord lowers the fifth of a dominant seventh, thinning out the chord and sharpening its tension. It shows up in jazz and in altered dominant sounds heading towards a resolution.

m(add9) — minor added 9th

Minor add9 chords add the ninth to a plain minor triad without a seventh. The added tone brightens the minor colour just enough to keep it open and cinematic rather than sad.