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Complete Chord Reference — Intermediate

Pin this next to your keyboard. Every chord type in the intermediate course with fingerings and inversions. RH = Right Hand, LH = Left Hand. Finger numbers: 1 = thumb, 5 = pinky.

Chord Construction Formulas

Section titled “Chord Construction Formulas”
Chord TypeFormula (from root)SymbolExample (C)
Major triadRoot - Major 3rd - Perfect 5thCC - E - G
Minor triadRoot - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5thCm, Cmin, C-C - Eb - G
Diminished triadRoot - Minor 3rd - Diminished 5thCdim, CoC - Eb - Gb
Augmented triadRoot - Major 3rd - Augmented 5thCaug, C+C - E - G#
Major 7thRoot - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Major 7thCmaj7, CM7C - E - G - B
Dominant 7thRoot - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7thC7C - E - G - Bb
Minor 7thRoot - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7thCm7, Cmin7C - Eb - G - Bb

All 12 Major Triads with Inversions

Section titled “All 12 Major Triads with Inversions”

C Major (C)

Section titled “C Major (C)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootC - E - G1-3-55-3-1
1stE - G - C1-2-55-3-1
2ndG - C - E1-3-55-2-1

Db Major (Db)

Section titled “Db Major (Db)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootDb - F - Ab2-3-55-3-2
1stF - Ab - Db1-2-55-3-1
2ndAb - Db - F1-3-55-2-1

D Major (D)

Section titled “D Major (D)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootD - F# - A1-3-55-3-1
1stF# - A - D1-2-55-3-1
2ndA - D - F#1-3-55-2-1

Eb Major (Eb)

Section titled “Eb Major (Eb)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootEb - G - Bb2-3-55-3-2
1stG - Bb - Eb1-2-55-3-1
2ndBb - Eb - G1-3-55-2-1

E Major (E)

Section titled “E Major (E)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootE - G# - B1-3-55-3-1
1stG# - B - E1-2-55-3-1
2ndB - E - G#1-3-55-2-1

F Major (F)

Section titled “F Major (F)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootF - A - C1-3-55-3-1
1stA - C - F1-2-55-3-1
2ndC - F - A1-3-55-2-1

F# Major (F#)

Section titled “F# Major (F#)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootF# - A# - C#2-3-55-3-2
1stA# - C# - F#1-2-55-3-1
2ndC# - F# - A#1-3-55-2-1

G Major (G)

Section titled “G Major (G)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootG - B - D1-3-55-3-1
1stB - D - G1-2-55-3-1
2ndD - G - B1-3-55-2-1

Ab Major (Ab)

Section titled “Ab Major (Ab)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootAb - C - Eb2-3-55-3-2
1stC - Eb - Ab1-2-55-3-1
2ndEb - Ab - C1-3-55-2-1

A Major (A)

Section titled “A Major (A)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootA - C# - E1-3-55-3-1
1stC# - E - A1-2-55-3-1
2ndE - A - C#1-3-55-2-1

Bb Major (Bb)

Section titled “Bb Major (Bb)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootBb - D - F2-3-55-3-2
1stD - F - Bb1-2-55-3-1
2ndF - Bb - D1-3-55-2-1

B Major (B)

Section titled “B Major (B)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootB - D# - F#1-3-55-3-1
1stD# - F# - B1-2-55-3-1
2ndF# - B - D#1-3-55-2-1

All 12 Minor Triads with Inversions

Section titled “All 12 Minor Triads with Inversions”

Cm (C minor)

Section titled “Cm (C minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootC - Eb - G1-3-55-3-1
1stEb - G - C1-2-55-3-1
2ndG - C - Eb1-3-55-2-1

C#m (C# minor)

Section titled “C#m (C# minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootC# - E - G#2-3-55-3-2
1stE - G# - C#1-2-55-3-1
2ndG# - C# - E1-3-55-2-1

Dm (D minor)

Section titled “Dm (D minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootD - F - A1-3-55-3-1
1stF - A - D1-2-55-3-1
2ndA - D - F1-3-55-2-1

Ebm (Eb minor)

Section titled “Ebm (Eb minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootEb - Gb - Bb2-3-55-3-2
1stGb - Bb - Eb1-2-55-3-1
2ndBb - Eb - Gb1-3-55-2-1

Em (E minor)

Section titled “Em (E minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootE - G - B1-3-55-3-1
1stG - B - E1-2-55-3-1
2ndB - E - G1-3-55-2-1

Fm (F minor)

Section titled “Fm (F minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootF - Ab - C1-3-55-3-1
1stAb - C - F1-2-55-3-1
2ndC - F - Ab1-3-55-2-1

F#m (F# minor)

Section titled “F#m (F# minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootF# - A - C#2-3-55-3-2
1stA - C# - F#1-2-55-3-1
2ndC# - F# - A1-3-55-2-1

Gm (G minor)

Section titled “Gm (G minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootG - Bb - D1-3-55-3-1
1stBb - D - G1-2-55-3-1
2ndD - G - Bb1-3-55-2-1

G#m (G# minor)

Section titled “G#m (G# minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootG# - B - D#2-3-55-3-2
1stB - D# - G#1-2-55-3-1
2ndD# - G# - B1-3-55-2-1

Am (A minor)

Section titled “Am (A minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootA - C - E1-3-55-3-1
1stC - E - A1-2-55-3-1
2ndE - A - C1-3-55-2-1

Bbm (Bb minor)

Section titled “Bbm (Bb minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootBb - Db - F2-3-55-3-2
1stDb - F - Bb1-2-55-3-1
2ndF - Bb - Db1-3-55-2-1

Bm (B minor)

Section titled “Bm (B minor)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootB - D - F#1-3-55-3-1
1stD - F# - B1-2-55-3-1
2ndF# - B - D1-3-55-2-1

Diminished Triads

Section titled “Diminished Triads”
ChordNotesRHLH
BdimB - D - F1-3-55-3-1
F#dimF# - A - C2-3-55-3-2
C#dimC# - E - G2-3-55-3-2
EbdimEb - Gb - Bbb (=A)2-3-55-3-2

Diminished Triad Inversions (Bdim example)

Section titled “Diminished Triad Inversions (Bdim example)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootB - D - F1-3-55-3-1
1stD - F - B1-2-55-3-1
2ndF - B - D1-3-55-2-1

Augmented Triads

Section titled “Augmented Triads”
ChordNotesRHLH
Caug (C+)C - E - G#1-3-55-3-1
Abaug (Ab+)Ab - C - E2-3-55-3-2
Eaug (E+)E - G# - B# (=C)1-3-55-3-1

Augmented Triad Inversions (Caug example)

Section titled “Augmented Triad Inversions (Caug example)”
InversionNotesRHLH
RootC - E - G#1-3-55-3-1
1stE - G# - C1-2-55-3-1
2ndG# - C - E1-3-55-2-1

Major 7th Chords (Cmaj7, FM7, etc.)

Section titled “Major 7th Chords (Cmaj7, FM7, etc.)”

Formula: Root - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Major 7th. Warm, dreamy sound.

ChordNotesRHLH
Cmaj7C - E - G - B1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Fmaj7F - A - C - E1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Gmaj7G - B - D - F#1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Bbmaj7Bb - D - F - A2-3-4-55-3-2-1
Ebmaj7Eb - G - Bb - D1-2-3-55-3-2-1

Dominant 7th Chords (G7, C7, etc.)

Section titled “Dominant 7th Chords (G7, C7, etc.)”

Formula: Root - Major 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7th. Strong pull to resolve. The “bluesy” 7th.

ChordNotesRHLH
G7G - B - D - F1-2-3-55-3-2-1
C7C - E - G - Bb1-2-3-55-3-2-1
D7D - F# - A - C1-2-3-55-3-2-1
F7F - A - C - Eb1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Bb7Bb - D - F - Ab2-3-4-55-3-2-1
E7E - G# - B - D1-2-3-55-3-2-1
A7A - C# - E - G1-2-3-55-3-2-1

Minor 7th Chords (Am7, Dm7, etc.)

Section titled “Minor 7th Chords (Am7, Dm7, etc.)”

Formula: Root - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7th. Smooth, mellow, jazzy sound.

ChordNotesRHLH
Am7A - C - E - G1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Dm7D - F - A - C1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Em7E - G - B - D1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Bm7B - D - F# - A1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Cm7C - Eb - G - Bb1-2-3-55-3-2-1
Fm7F - Ab - C - Eb1-2-3-55-3-2-1

Common Chord Progressions

Section titled “Common Chord Progressions”

I - IV - V - I (The Classic)

Section titled “I - IV - V - I (The Classic)”
KeyIIVVI
C majorCFGC
G majorGCDG
D majorDGAD
F majorFBbCF
AmAmDmEm (or E)Am
DmDmGmAm (or A)Dm

I - V - vi - IV (Pop Progression)

Section titled “I - V - vi - IV (Pop Progression)”
KeyIVviIV
C majorCGAmF
G majorGDEmC
D majorDABmG
F majorFCDmBb

ii - V - I (Jazz Essential)

Section titled “ii - V - I (Jazz Essential)”
KeyiiV(7)I(maj7)
C majorDm7G7Cmaj7
G majorAm7D7Gmaj7
F majorGm7C7Fmaj7
Bb majorCm7F7Bbmaj7
D majorEm7A7Dmaj7

vi - ii - V - I (Extended Jazz)

Section titled “vi - ii - V - I (Extended Jazz)”
KeyviiiV(7)I(maj7)
C majorAm7Dm7G7Cmaj7
G majorEm7Am7D7Gmaj7
F majorDm7Gm7C7Fmaj7

Circle of 5ths Progression

Section titled “Circle of 5ths Progression”
Key of C
ChordsCmaj7Fmaj7Bm7b5Em7Am7Dm7G7 → (back to C)
FunctionIIVviioiiiviiiV

12-Bar Blues

Section titled “12-Bar Blues”
Bar123456789101112
Key of CC7C7C7C7F7F7C7C7G7F7C7G7
Key of GG7G7G7G7C7C7G7G7D7C7G7D7
Key of FF7F7F7F7Bb7Bb7F7F7C7Bb7F7C7

Voice Leading Tips

Section titled “Voice Leading Tips”

Voice leading = moving between chords with the smallest possible finger movements. Smooth voice leading sounds professional.

RuleExample
Common tones stayC (C-E-G) to Am (A-C-E): C and E stay, G moves to A
Move by stepG (G-B-D) to C (G-C-E): G stays, B moves up to C, D moves up to E
Use inversionsInstead of jumping C root → F root, use C root → F 2nd inversion (C-F-A)
Closest positionAlways look for the inversion that keeps your hand closest to its current position

Complete Chord Reference — Intermediate Course Pin next to your keyboard for instant lookup