How to Read Chord Symbols

Chord symbols can look intimidating at first — what does Cadd9 mean? What’s the difference between Cm7 and Cmaj7? This guide breaks down every common notation.

The Anatomy of a Chord Symbol

A chord symbol has up to three parts:

1. Root note — the letter name (C, F#, Bb, etc.)
2. Quality modifier — what kind of chord it is (major, minor, dominant, etc.)
3. Extensions or alterations — additional notes beyond the basic triad

Basic Qualities

Symbol	Meaning	Example
C	Major triad (no symbol = major)	C – E – G
Cm	Minor triad	C – Eb – G
Cdim	Diminished triad	C – Eb – Gb
Caug	Augmented triad	C – E – G#

7th Chords

Symbol	Meaning	Notes
C7	Dominant 7th	C – E – G – Bb
Cmaj7	Major 7th	C – E – G – B
Cm7	Minor 7th	C – Eb – G – Bb
Cm7b5	Half diminished	C – Eb – Gb – Bb
Cdim7	Fully diminished 7th	C – Eb – Gb – Bbb

Extensions

Symbol	Meaning	Notes
C9	Dominant 9th	C7 + D
Cadd9	Major with added 9th (no 7th)	C – E – G – D
Cmaj9	Major 9th	Cmaj7 + D

Suspensions

Symbol	Meaning	Notes
Csus4	Suspended 4th	C – F – G
Csus2	Suspended 2nd	C – D – G

Suspended chords replace the third with a second or fourth, removing the major/minor quality and creating tension that “wants” to resolve.

Slash Chords

C/E means a C major chord with E in the bass. This specifies the inversion or a non-root bass note.

Quick Reference Rule

When in doubt: letter = root, lowercase “m” = minor, number = extension. Cmaj7 is major with a major 7th. Cm7 is minor with a minor 7th. C7 is major with a minor 7th (the dominant 7th).

→ Identify any chord by its notes in the Chord Finder