Chord Interval Chart: How Chords Are made (Notes and Interval Formulas)

Chord Interval note Chart Table Notes in chords how chords are constructed diagram pdf

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Chord formula table perfect for musicians – from major chords to common jazz chords, see what notes and intervals chords are built from to seriously upgrade your skills and enjoyment

Table of Contents

Discover the notes and intervals that some of the most common chords are constructed from in our handy chord intervals chart below.

All chord types are shown in the key of C as an example. Simply transpose the interval formulas to find the chord notes in the key of your choice.

For example, the C major chord contains the notes taken from the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of its parent C major scale:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7C – D – E – F – G -A -B  =  (C – E – G)

To find the notes in a G major chord, apply the same note interval formula 1-3-5 to its parent major scale (G major):

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7G – A – B – C – D -E -F#  

and you get the notes G – B – D.

Chord Types Shown

Learn the interval formulas for chords including triads and extensions commonly used in many genres from jazz, to blues and country:

  • Major chords (triads)
  • Minor chords (triads)
  • Diminished chords 
  • Half diminished (m7b5)
  • Diminished 7th chords
  • Seventh (7th) chords major 7th / minor 7th / dominant 7th
  • Sixth (6th) chords major 6th / minor 6th / dominant 6th
  • Ninth (9th) chords major 9th / minor 9th / dominant 9th
  • Eleventh (11th) chords major 11th / minor 11th / dominant 11th
  • Thirteenth (13th) chords major 13th / minor 13th / dominant 13th
  • Suspended chords (sus2, sus4, 7sus4)
  • Add9 and Add11 chords

 

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Chord Interval and Notes Chart 

Chord interval chart for music theory

What the chord interval chart shows you

  • Chord intervals useful for guitar/piano/keyboard/musicians
  • Chord construction music theory
  • How to construct and build chords
  • How to build chords from scales
  • Minor / Major / Diminished / jazz chord formulas
  • Minor  / Major / diminished / jazz chord intervals
  • Major  and Minor triads 
  • Chord modifications
  • Notes in a Major/ minor / diminished chord
  • How many steps/semitones are in each chord
  • How to build chords from scales

Apps to help you learn chords by ear fast

Here are the steps on how to learn chords and songs by ear, followed by recommendations of apps that can help you develop your skills faster:

  1. Listen to the song repeatedly. The more you listen to the song you want to learn, the more familiar you will become with the melody and the chords.
  2. Sing along with the song. This will help you to learn the melody and the rhythm of the song.
  3. Try to pick out the notes on your instrument. You can use a keyboard or a guitar, or any other instrument that you know how to play.
  4. Use a tuner to help you identify the notes. This can be helpful, especially if you are not familiar with the notes on your instrument.
  5. Practice, practice, practice! The more you practice, the better you will become at learning songs by ear.

Here are some software that can help you learn songs by ear:

Hooktheory

Hooktheory is a music learning platform that offers various software to help musicians of all levels understand, create, and produce music. Two of their most popular software are Hookpad and Chord Crush.

Hookpad is a powerful and fun tool for learning songs by ear. It uses AI to analyze songs and show you the chords, scales, and progressions. You can also play along with the song to help you develop your ear.

Chord Crush is a game that challenges you to identify chords in songs. It is a fun and effective way to improve your ear training skills.

Check out the latest Hooktheory deals here

Ear Master

Earmaster is a great software that is a more comprehensive ear training program that includes exercises on identifying intervals, chords, and rhythms.

It can be a great way to improve your overall ear-training skills, which can help you learn songs by ear more easily.

Check out the latest Earmaster deals here

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