Piano chords
Choose a root and a chord type to see the notes on the keyboard and on the staff, with its formula and its inversions.
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How piano chords are built
A triad stacks two thirds on the root. A major chord is a major third plus a minor third (4 and 3 half steps: C E G); a minor chord, a minor third plus a major third (3 and 4: C E♭ G). Diminished is two minor thirds (C E♭ G♭) and augmented two major thirds (C E G♯). Seventh chords add one more third: C7 is C E G B♭, Cmaj7 is C E G B.
Inversions
An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. With the third in the bass it's the first inversion (E G C, written C/E); with the fifth in the bass, the second (G C E, C/G). Seventh chords also have a third inversion, with the seventh in the bass.
Major and minor chords on the keyboard
Piano chord chart: notes of each chord
| Root | major | minor (m) | diminished (dim) | augmented (aug) | dominant 7th (7) | major 7th (maj7) | minor 7th (m7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C: C E G | Cm: C E♭ G | Cdim: C E♭ G♭ | Caug: C E G♯ | C7: C E G B♭ | Cmaj7: C E G B | Cm7: C E♭ G B♭ |
| D♭ | D♭: D♭ F A♭ | C♯m: C♯ E G♯ | C♯dim: C♯ E G | D♭aug: D♭ F A | D♭7: D♭ F A♭ C♭ | D♭maj7: D♭ F A♭ C | C♯m7: C♯ E G♯ B |
| D | D: D F♯ A | Dm: D F A | Ddim: D F A♭ | Daug: D F♯ A♯ | D7: D F♯ A C | Dmaj7: D F♯ A C♯ | Dm7: D F A C |
| E♭ | E♭: E♭ G B♭ | E♭m: E♭ G♭ B♭ | E♭dim: E♭ G♭ B♭♭ | E♭aug: E♭ G B | E♭7: E♭ G B♭ D♭ | E♭maj7: E♭ G B♭ D | E♭m7: E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭ |
| E | E: E G♯ B | Em: E G B | Edim: E G B♭ | Eaug: E G♯ B♯ | E7: E G♯ B D | Emaj7: E G♯ B D♯ | Em7: E G B D |
| F | F: F A C | Fm: F A♭ C | Fdim: F A♭ C♭ | Faug: F A C♯ | F7: F A C E♭ | Fmaj7: F A C E | Fm7: F A♭ C E♭ |
| F♯ | F♯: F♯ A♯ C♯ | F♯m: F♯ A C♯ | F♯dim: F♯ A C | F♯aug: F♯ A♯ C♯♯ | F♯7: F♯ A♯ C♯ E | F♯maj7: F♯ A♯ C♯ E♯ | F♯m7: F♯ A C♯ E |
| G | G: G B D | Gm: G B♭ D | Gdim: G B♭ D♭ | Gaug: G B D♯ | G7: G B D F | Gmaj7: G B D F♯ | Gm7: G B♭ D F |
| A♭ | A♭: A♭ C E♭ | G♯m: G♯ B D♯ | G♯dim: G♯ B D | A♭aug: A♭ C E | A♭7: A♭ C E♭ G♭ | A♭maj7: A♭ C E♭ G | G♯m7: G♯ B D♯ F♯ |
| A | A: A C♯ E | Am: A C E | Adim: A C E♭ | Aaug: A C♯ E♯ | A7: A C♯ E G | Amaj7: A C♯ E G♯ | Am7: A C E G |
| B♭ | B♭: B♭ D F | B♭m: B♭ D♭ F | B♭dim: B♭ D♭ F♭ | B♭aug: B♭ D F♯ | B♭7: B♭ D F A♭ | B♭maj7: B♭ D F A | B♭m7: B♭ D♭ F A♭ |
| B | B: B D♯ F♯ | Bm: B D F♯ | Bdim: B D F | Baug: B D♯ F♯♯ | B7: B D♯ F♯ A | Bmaj7: B D♯ F♯ A♯ | Bm7: B D F♯ A |
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a C major chord?
C, E and G: the root, the major third and the perfect fifth.
What is the difference between C7 and Cmaj7?
The seventh. C7 (dominant seventh) adds B♭, a minor seventh above C; Cmaj7 adds B, a major seventh.
What does C/E mean?
A C chord with E in the bass: the first inversion of C major.