D'Accord Keyboard Chord Dictionary

D'ACCORD CHORD SPELLING

If you didn't find a chord name in the chord list, try other name for the same chord. The text below is intended to explain the notation used in D'Accord Keyboard Chord Dictionary. It's useful, for instance, to convert a tablature found in the Internet in a D'Accord compatible text.

CHORD NAMES

There isn't a standard in chord spelling. Often, we can find many different names for the same chord, specially in the Internet.

For this reason, it's important to understand the meaning of the chord names.

A chord name is composed of 4 items:

1 - Fundamental
2 - Mode
3 - Dissonances
4 - Bass

Each chord is composed of 3 or more notes.

Fundamental
The fundamental is the main note of the chord.

Mode
The mode complements the fundamental, indicating the other notes in the chord. There are 4 main modes:

Major

Minor

Diminished

Dominant

The table below shows the notes that belongs to each chord in each mode, as well as its spelling (always using "C" as the fundamental).

Mode	Chord Name Samples	Notes
Major	C	C, E, G
Minor	Cm, or Cmin	C, Eb, G
Diminished	Cē, or Cdim	C, Eb, G, A
Dominant	C7	C, E, G, Bb

Obs: It's important to remark that major chords doesn't present any extension. For instance, a "D" chord denotes a "D major".

Obs2.: The fifth usually belongs to the chord.

Intervals

Chords are defined as sets of notes. In order to understand their spelling, you must learn about intervals.
A musical interval is the number of semitons (or frets, in a guitar) between two notes.
The intervals that don't belong to the basic chord are called "dissonances".
These dissonances can be used to complement the chord name.
The following table presents possibles names for these intervals and/or dissonances, as well as the respective notes, for each fundamental.

Fundamental

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

Minor ninth

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

Major ninth

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

Augmented ninth, minor third

#9, m, min

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

major (third)

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

fourth ([JUSTA]), eleventh([JUSTA]), suspended third

4, 11, sus, sus4

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

diminished fifth, augmented fourth, augmented eleventh

b5, #11

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

fifth ([JUSTA])

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

augmented fifth, minor sixth, minor thirteenth

#5, b6, b13

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

(major) sixth, (major) thirteenth, seventh diminished

6, 13, ē

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

minor seventh

A#,Bb

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

major seventh

maj7, 7M

C#,Db

D#,Eb

F#,Gb

G#,Ab

A#,Bb

For instance, a Dm6 indicates a D minor, adding a sixth (in this case, a B - see the table).

Obs.: Pay attention in the following cases:

1. Suspended ("sus") chords, as Csus4 and Dsus4/7, exchanges the third for the fourth.

2. Diminished ("dim") chords are composed by the fundamental, the third, the fifth, and the diminished seventh.

Bass

Chord names may include a slash ("/"). This slash indicates that the bass note (the note after the slash) is not the fundamental.
For instance: A/E indicates a "A major", but with "E" as bass.

Examples

C	C, E, G
Dbmaj7	Db, F, Ab, C
A#min6/C#	C#, A#, D, G
E4/7	E, A, B, D
G7M(9)	G, A, B, D, F#

EQUIVALENT CHORD NAMES

If the desired chord does not appear in the chor list, verify the existence of an equivalent name.
Usually, chord names differ due to the different notations used to describe the intervals. The list below illustrate different interval spellings.

Samples ("C" as fundamental)	D'Accord Interval Spelling	Alternative Interval Spellings
C		8
C#, Db	b9	9b, 9-, -9, B9, 9B, b2, 2b
D	9	add9, add, 2
D#, Eb	#9, m	9#, +9, 9+
E
F	4, 11	sus4, sus
F#, Gb	b5, #11	5b, -5, 5-, 11#, +11, 11+
G		5
G#, Ab	#5, b6, b13	5#, 6b, 13b, +5, 5+, -6, 6-, -13, 13-, aug
A	6, 13, ē
A#, Bb	7
B	7M	7+, +7, maj7,

The mode may also have different spellings.

Chord mode	Chord name samples	Alternative chord names
minor	Cm	Cmin
diminished	Cē	Cdim

In addition, the order dissonances appear may change and the symbols used may vary.
For instance:

D4/7, D7/4, D4|7, D4(7), D7/11 are different names for the same chord.

At last, it's possible to find chord names using lower cases, or by their italian names.
For instance:

E7, e7, Mi7

G7M, G7+, Gmaj7, g7m, Sol7M

A6, A(6), a6, Lá6

(Each line illustrates many names for same chord).

SPECIAL CASES

1. [MUDAR NO ORIGINAL - Sao acordes MENORES com setima e quinta diminuta] Chord like Cm7(b5), are often called Chalf-dim or Cĸ[TROCAR POR IMAGEM?].

2. Sometimes, a "C9" means a "C7(9)". In such a case, an actual "C9" is notated "Cadd9".

3. Chord names as C(8) and C(5) are redundants, because they are equivalent to a C.

However, they are frequently used in cases such as:
1. Chord progressions: C(8), C7M, C7, C6, C(#5), C(5).
2. Rock: in this style, generally a C5, or a C(5), indicates the chord omits its third.

False Invertions

Often, chords are erroneously named with invertions. Therefore, theoretically the bass note must belong to list of notes that composes the chord. Unfortunately, it's usual to think that a chord that mantains its position and basically changes its bass is an invertion. Obs.: Chord spelling is not perfect. Due to this fact, sometimes the chord is inverted, even if the bass does not belongs to the chord. It occurs when the bass is a dissonance that is omited in the chord name.

For instance, A/G, A/D, and A/G# should be called, rescpectively: A7/G, Asus4/D, and Amaj7/G#.

Guidelines to evaluate chord names with invertions [DEALING WITH INVERTIONS]:

If you find a chord with an invertion:

search the non-inverted chord, and

then, change it's bass
This will work for most cases.

However, pay attention to the bass (look if it belongs to the chord).

Search the following list of examples:
(first column indicates erroneously named chords.
Second column indicates the correct ones).

1. C4/7(9) is often named Bb/C or Gm7/C. As well as:

Bb/C, Gm7/C	C4/7(9)
B/C#, G#m7/C#	C#4/7(9)
B/Db, Abm7/Db	Db4/7(9)
C/D, Am7/D	D4/7(9)
C#/D#, A#m7/D#	D#4/7(9)
Db/Eb, Bbm7/Eb	Eb4/7(9)
D/E, Bm7/E	E4/7(9)
Eb/F, D#/F, Cm7/F	F4/7(9)
E/F#, C#m7/F#	F#4/7(9)
Fb/Gb, Dbm7/Gb	Gb4/7(9)
F/G, Dm7/G	G4/7(9)
F#/G#, D#m7/G#	G#4/7(9)
Gb/Ab, Ebm7/Ab	Ab4/7(9)
G/A, Em7/A	A4/7(9)
G#/A#, Fm7/A#	A#4/7(9)
Ab/Bb, Fm7/Bb	Bb4/7(9)
A/B, F#m7/B, Gbm7/B	B4/7(9)

2. Cm7 is often named Eb/C. As well as:

Eb/C	Cm7
E/C#	C#m7
E/Db	Dbm7
F/D	Dm7
F#/D#	D#m7
Gb/Eb	Ebm7
G/E	Em7
Ab/F, G#/F	Fm7
A/F#	F#m7
A/Gb	Gbm7
Bb/G, A#/G	Gm7
B/G#	G#m7
B/Ab	Abm7
C/A	Am7
C#/A#	A#m7
Db/Bb	Bbm7
D/B	Bm7

3. C7M is often named Em/C. As well as:

Em/C	C7M
Fm/C#	C#7M
Fm/Db	Db7M
F#m/D, Gbm/D	D7M
Gm/D#	D#7M
Gm/Eb	Eb7M
G#m/E, Abm/E	E7M
Am/F	F7M
A#m/F#	F#7M
Bbm/Gb	Gb7M
Bm/G	G7M
Cm/G#	G#7M
Cm/Ab	Ab7M
C#m/A, Dbm/A	A7M
Dm/A#	A#7M
Dm/Bb	Bb7M
D#m/B, Ebm/B	B7M

4. Cm7(b5) is often named Ebm/C. As well as:

Ebm/C, D#m/C	Cm7(b5)
Em/C#	C#m7(b5)
Em/Db	Dbm7(b5)
Fm/D	Dm7(b5)
F#m/D#	D#m7(b5)
Gbm/Eb	Ebm7(b5)
Gm/E	Em7(b5)
G#m/F, Abm/F	Fm7(b5)
Am/F#	F#m7(b5)
Am/Gb	Gbm7(b5)
A#m/G, Bbm/G	Gm7(b5)
Bm/G#	G#m7(b5)
Bm/Ab	Abm7(b5)
Cm/A	Am7(b5)
C#m/A#	A#m7(b5)
Dbm/Bb	Bbm7(b5)
Dm/B	Bm7(b5)

EXAMPLES

This is a compilation of equivalent chord names (that can be transposed to any fundamental). Always check it.

Similar Chord Names	Chord Names in D'Accord Syntax
C7/9, C7\|9, C9/7, C7.9	C7(9)
C7/4/9 , Bb/C	C4/7(9)
C(5)	C
C7/4, C7/11, C4(7), Csus7	C4/7
Cmin	Cm
Cmaj7, C7+, CM7, C+7	C7M
Cdim, Cē	Co
Dķ7, c7	C7
A/Db	A/C#
C7(6), C7/6, C6/7, C13/7, C13.7	C7(13)
C69, C6\|9, C6/9, C6\9, C(6/9), C9(6), Cadd9(6), C9(13), C9/13, C13/9	C6(9)
Csus, Csus4	C4
F/G	G4/7(9)
G/A	A4/7(9)
A/B	B4/7(9)
C/D	D4/7(9)
D/E	E4/7(9)
Am/F	F7M
Bm/G	G7M
C#m/A, Dbm/A	A7M
D#m/B, Ebm/B	B7M
Em/C	C7M
F#m/D, Gbm/D	D7M
G#m/E, Abm/E	E7M
Am/F#	F#m7(b5)
Bbm/G	Gm7(b5)
Cm/A	Am7(b5)
Dm/B	Bm7(b5)
Fm/D	Dm7(b5)
Gm/E	Em7(b5)

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