behind the notation_ chord symbols _ noteflight notes

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Behind the Notation: Chord SymbolsRobin McClellan| December 1, 2014

Our Behind the Notation series returns with a topic close to the hearts of anyone

who likes chords (and thats everyone, right?). Usually placed above the staff or a

set of lyrics, chord symbols are an entire musical language unto themselves.

Independent from staff notation but also an important extension of it, chord

symbols are a precise shorthand and guide to performance and improvisation.

Anatomy of a Chord SymbolLets start with a quick anatomy lesson: what are the basic parts of a chord

symbol?

Study the example and notice the following:

The foundation of the symbol is a letter of the musical alphabet, A-G: this is the root of the chord: the defining

note that gives the chord its name.

A capital let ter by itself means the chord is major: the majorness is implied.

To make it minor, use a lowercase m .

The superscr ipt provides additional info in this case that cute little 7 means that its a seventh chord.

The chord symbol does not automatically specify the chords inversion, as figured bass numerals do. The

examples in this article are written in the basic stacked thirds voicing with the root on the bottom, but you can

voice the same chord many different ways without needing to reflect that in the chord symbol. That said, you can

use the chord symbol to specify whats happening in the bass read on below.

The Art of Implication

But going back to the previous example, says the alert student of music theory, how did you know the 7

indicates a minor-seventh B-flat, and not a major-seventh B-natural? Good point. The 7 by itself

implies/assumes a minor seventh only because the minor seventh is so common. Some chords are played so

often that putting every little detail into the chord symbol isnt necessary: for the sake of efficiency and avoiding

clutter on the page, music notation often omits certain commonly understood info. Instead, it relies on the

background knowledge of the reader to fill in the gaps.

For chord symbols, this also means that a given element of the chord symbol often doesnt only describe that

one aspect it stands in for aspects of the whole chord such as major or minor. For example, that little 7

doesnt just imply the added minor seventh above the root (B-flat above C as opposed to B-natural) it also

implies that the triad underneath is major. Why? Because the resulting dominant seventh chord, C-E-G-Bb, is so

common that its easier just to put C7 and be done with it. On the less frequent occasions when you need a

different type of seventh chord, then you can use the extra ink (or pixels) to be more specific. For example

here are some of the most common types of seventh chords and their symbols:

*If youre wondering about why a B-double-flat is necessary here, check out our article on musical spelling.

Composition Educators News

Chord Symbols: Basic Anatomy

C

C = rootof chord

C

First inversion:C still the root,same symbol

Cm

"m" = minor:E replaces E

C7

7 = added 7th

Chord Symbols: 7th Chord Basics

C7

7 = implied minor7th over majortriad...

= dominant 7th chord

Cm7

minor 7th withminor triad

Cmaj7

"maj" implies 3rd &7th are BOTH major

C7

o = whole chord isdiminished

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Fun with Superscripts

This article isnt a complete catalog of chord symbols. We just want to point out that you can do a lot with

superscripts. Its not an exact science, but there are certain conventions and common practices musicians use to

show deeper levels of detail in a chord. Here are a few examples:

There is some room for creativity, as long as its clear what you mean. And be aware of the conventions

consult your favorite chord resource for more options.

The example also brings up a small but important detail: the flat in flat 5doesnt mean use a flat sign. It

means lower the note by one chromatic semitone. Or in non-music theory jargon: if the note was already a

sharp, use a natural to lower it, not a flat:

9ths, 11ths, and 13ths, Oh My!

In jazz charts you will often see superscript 9, 11, and 13. These are intervals between the root and a note higher

than the octave above the root. Again, some of the information is left to the reader to fill in: a simple 9 or 11usually implies boththat the 7th is present, andthat the underlying chord is a dominant seventh chord:

But our alert theory student again pipes up: wait! isnt a 9th really the same as a 2nd, through the principle of

octave equivalence (a D is a D is a D)? So isnt an 11th much like a fourth? And we answer, Yes it is! But its

still clearer to use 9, 11, etc:

Chord Symbols: Superscript Fun

Cm7( 5)

( 5 ) = lower the fifthof the chord,in this case G

Cm7( 5)

Again, samechord symbol forthe inversion

C2(no3)

Add D, a 2nd abovethe root, leave outE, the 3rd

C7sus

The F a 4th abovethe root is "suspended"(references a 4-3 sus-pension with F resolvingdown to E)

C(4)

The parentheses showthat in this case the 3rdisn't omitted as in C7sus;the 4th is added to the 3rd.

C(add4)

...but if you want to be sureit's clear, add "add"

C7( 5)

Sometimes there are twoways to describe the samechord. Here, the + shows thetriad is augmented due to the G#,which is also the sharp 5th.

-OR- C+7

...the beauty of silence: N.C. = no chord

N.C.

Chord Symbols: Flat 5 for a Natural?

Cm7( 5)

( 5 ) = lower the fifthof the chord

Bm7( 5)

( 5) = F ,because the fifth would normallybe F in a B dominant 7th chord.

TRANSPOSED:

Chord Symbols: Beyond the Octave

C9

Added 9th;dominant 7thchord below isimplied

Cm9

With a minorseventh chordbelow

Cm11

Count 'em...11 steps from Cup to F.

(often the 9this optional)

C13

The higher you go,the more notesbecome optional...

(often the 5th, 9th,and 11th are optional)

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These examples underline the question of chord voicing: which note is in which octave when its actually played

on a piano, guitar, or marimba? In general, chord symbols dont specify: add a D to a C chord, and it gives a

certain sound, whether you call it a 2nd or a 9th. At the same time, when you move notes up or down an octave it

can change the sound of the chord, perhaps in a subtle way but perhaps more noticeably. Just be sensitive to

the meanings in your chord symbol and try to make it as clear as possible.

Bass Notes

Although chord symbols dont tell you a great deal about chord voicing, you can specify the bass note: a slash /

followed by a note name means that this note is played in the bass.

For example:

C/E= E in the bass = C chord in first inversion; C/G= G in the bass = second inversion.

You can also indicate changing chords over a pedal (a held, unchanging note like a drone). This example shows

a held C under changing chords:

C B/C Bb/C

And you can show bass line progressions such as a descending bassline under chord here, a held C chord

with the bass line moving down by half step:

C C/B C/Bb

Working with Chord Symbols in NoteflightSo thats a basic primer on chord symbol anatomy. There are great resources out there if you want to explore

further, and we encourage you to do so. But if you are reading this, it means you probably use Noteflight, or you

have come dangerously close to doing so. And so youd probably like to know how to work with all these fancy

chord symbols in Noteflight.

Creating Chord SymbolsIn a nutshell, to make a chord symbol, select a note, click the A7symbol on the toolbar (or type K as a keyboard

shortcut). Then type the chord letter plus any symbols you need, and Noteflight will auto-format it with all the

proper things superscripted (is that a word?) and so on. To stack up superscript numbers, separate them with a

space. It must be Noteflights official chord symbol text option the other kinds of text in Noteflight will not do

the job, although some of them, for example Performance text, doauto-format symbols like sharps and flats. In

general, the choice of letters or symbols is intuitive: a lowercase bcreates a flat sign, the number sign #creates

a sharp, =creates a natural, and so on. Use spaces, slashes, and parentheses as needed. To see the string of

keyboard characters we used to create each chord symbol in this article, open the Noteflight scores in a separate

window (click the white box), make a copy in your account (File menu > Save a Copy), and double click on each

symbol. Exact formatting is important, and our User Guide gives a good summary here(note the section on

special formatting).

Transposing Chord Symbols

Another handy Noteflight feature is that when you transpose a passage of music (select passage, then Editmenu, then Transpose, using Up/Down interval, notScale step more info here), the chord symbols

transpose along with the staff notation, so you dont have to re-enter them all. For the most part, Noteflight takes

care of this for you. But you should be aware of it and double check that the symbols are correct in the new key.

In this example the first line repeats a few of the examples above, which are then transposed to other keys:

Chord Symbols: 2 vs 9 and other mysteries

C9

Bring that 9th downan octave and...

C2?

...does it become a C2?

C2

Yes, but C2 mightimply no seventh.

Cm11

(the 9th is oftenomitted in 11th chords)

Similarly: Cm4

?

...does it become a Cm4?

C(add4)

Clearer like this

C7( 11)

An interesting case:

Here is a sharp 11th chord.But...

C7(1 1

5 )

...add a flat 5th and we haveF and G in the same chord...

C7(1 1

5 )

...bring that 11th downan octave and..."clashing" G and F#!!

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