Piano chords: major and minor in all 12 keys, plus sevenths
A basic chord is built by stacking two thirds on a root note, and the size of those thirds makes it major, minor, diminished or augmented. In this guide, we'll first see how a chord is built. Then you'll find all twenty-four major and minor chords, followed by the seventh chords, each with a keyboard diagram and its sound.
How a chord is built
Take a note, add the third above it, then the fifth. On C, that gives C, E, G. With a major third, four half steps up, and a perfect fifth, seven half steps up, the chord is major. Lower the third by a half step, to get C, E♭, G, and it becomes minor. That one note changes the whole character: the chord sounds brighter in major and darker in minor.
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | On C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | C | root, major third, perfect fifth | C, E, G |
| Minor | Cm | root, minor third, perfect fifth | C, E♭, G |
| Diminished | Cdim | minor third, diminished fifth | C, E♭, G♭ |
| Augmented | Caug | major third, augmented fifth | C, E, G♯ |
| Dominant seventh | C7 | major triad plus minor seventh | C, E, G, B♭ |
| Major seventh | Cmaj7 | major triad plus major seventh | C, E, G, B |
| Minor seventh | Cm7 | minor triad plus minor seventh | C, E♭, G, B♭ |
The 12 major and 12 minor chords
Seventh chords
Inversions
A chord can also have a note other than the root in the bass. C, E, G becomes E, G, C in first inversion, or G, C, E in second inversion. The notes are the same, and so is the chord name. On the piano, inversions let you move from one chord to the next with very little hand movement.
| Degree | Notes | Quality | Symbol | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I · tonic | C E G | major triad | C | |
| ii · supertonic | D F A | minor triad | Dm | |
| iii · mediant | E G B | minor triad | Em | |
| IV · subdominant | F A C | major triad | F | |
| V · dominant | G B D | major triad | G | |
| vi · submediant | A C E | minor triad | Am | |
| vii° · leading tone | B D F | diminished triad | B° |
Position : 5/3 (root position).