the letter F followed by the sharp sign.
2. Numbers in the abbreviation always indicate the notes in extended voicings. All of the basic 7th chords, for instance, use the number 7. Thus if there is no number, a simple triad is indicated.
3. Since the 3rd of the chord is so important for giving it a characteristic color and function, the 3rd is indicated immediately following the root - but only if such an indication is needed in order to make the abbreviation clear. A major 3rd is indicated either with the letters "maj" or with a capital "M.' A minor 3rd is indicated either with the letters "min" or a lowercase letter "m," or with a minus sign (-). In this book, I'll use "maj" for major and "m" for minor. (I recommend not using a capital "M" for major chords, because many people's handwriting doesn't make a clear enough distinction between "m" and "M" In computer-printed charts, "M" is acceptable, but it's bound to be confusing to use abbreviations in printed music that you wouldn't use in handwritten music.)
4. In general, the most commonly used chords have the simplest abbreviations. This makes the chord symbols easier to read. As a result, it's not often necessary to spell out the type of 3rd, 5th, and 7th (or other notes) used in a chord, except with chords that are used less often.
These principles should help you understand why the specific symbols explained below have the form that they do.
1. A letter name not followed by any other sign indicates a major triad - for instance, the chord symbol "D" by itself indicates a D major triad, with no 7th or other notes (see Figure 5-6). All other chord symbols have suffixes.
Figure 5-6. Chord symbols with no suffixes denote major triads. (A flat or sharp in the letter name is not considered a suffix.) Most of the chords in Figures 5-6 through 5-10 are shown in closed position purely for convenience - chord symbols do not show whether a chord is to be voiced in closed or open position.
2. A letter name followed by "m" or "min" indicates a minor triad, again with no 7th. The same holds true for letter names followed simply by "aug" or "dim" - they refer to augmented and diminished triads, respectively (see Figure 5-7). In jazz charts, the diminished triad is indicated even more commonly with a small, raised circle next to the root name, for instance "F°". (This symbol is sometimes used to indicate a diminished 7th chord rather than a simple diminished triad. Since diminished triads are seldom used without other notes, this abbreviated usage makes sense.)
Figure 5-7. Minor triads are indicated with the suffix "m" (or "min"), augmented triads with the suffix "aug, " and diminished triads with the suffix "dim."
3. A letter name followed by a "7" with no other indication indicates a dominant 7th voicing. While there are other 7th chords, the dominant 7th is used somewhat more often than other types, or at any rate is felt to be more basic, so it gets the nod for the simplest abbreviation (see Figure 5-8).
Figure 5-8. When the suffix of the chord symbol is "7" with no other indication, a dominant 7th chord is meant.
4. The major 7th, minor 7th, and diminished 7th chords are indicated with the suffix "maj7" (or "M7"), "m7" (or "min7"), and "dim7" (or "07"). With both the maj7 and m7 chords, the "maj" or "m" conveniently tells us how to play both the 3rd and the 7th of the chord (see Figure 5-9). Some arrangers use a triangle after the root letter to indicate a major 7th chord.
Figure 5-9. The suffix "maj7 (or "M7") indicates a major 7th chord, "m7" (or "min7") indicates a minor 7th chord, and "dim7" (or "07") indicates a diminished 7th chord.
5. This leaves us with the half-diminished, augmented-major, and minormajor 7th chords. Because these are somewhat less common, they have to make do with the messiest abbreviations (see Figure 5-10). The half-diminished 7th, in fact, has two abbreviations, which are used interchangeably. Some arrangers indicate it with a
2. Numbers in the abbreviation always indicate the notes in extended voicings. All of the basic 7th chords, for instance, use the number 7. Thus if there is no number, a simple triad is indicated.
3. Since the 3rd of the chord is so important for giving it a characteristic color and function, the 3rd is indicated immediately following the root - but only if such an indication is needed in order to make the abbreviation clear. A major 3rd is indicated either with the letters "maj" or with a capital "M.' A minor 3rd is indicated either with the letters "min" or a lowercase letter "m," or with a minus sign (-). In this book, I'll use "maj" for major and "m" for minor. (I recommend not using a capital "M" for major chords, because many people's handwriting doesn't make a clear enough distinction between "m" and "M" In computer-printed charts, "M" is acceptable, but it's bound to be confusing to use abbreviations in printed music that you wouldn't use in handwritten music.)
4. In general, the most commonly used chords have the simplest abbreviations. This makes the chord symbols easier to read. As a result, it's not often necessary to spell out the type of 3rd, 5th, and 7th (or other notes) used in a chord, except with chords that are used less often.
These principles should help you understand why the specific symbols explained below have the form that they do.
1. A letter name not followed by any other sign indicates a major triad - for instance, the chord symbol "D" by itself indicates a D major triad, with no 7th or other notes (see Figure 5-6). All other chord symbols have suffixes.
Figure 5-6. Chord symbols with no suffixes denote major triads. (A flat or sharp in the letter name is not considered a suffix.) Most of the chords in Figures 5-6 through 5-10 are shown in closed position purely for convenience - chord symbols do not show whether a chord is to be voiced in closed or open position.
2. A letter name followed by "m" or "min" indicates a minor triad, again with no 7th. The same holds true for letter names followed simply by "aug" or "dim" - they refer to augmented and diminished triads, respectively (see Figure 5-7). In jazz charts, the diminished triad is indicated even more commonly with a small, raised circle next to the root name, for instance "F°". (This symbol is sometimes used to indicate a diminished 7th chord rather than a simple diminished triad. Since diminished triads are seldom used without other notes, this abbreviated usage makes sense.)
Figure 5-7. Minor triads are indicated with the suffix "m" (or "min"), augmented triads with the suffix "aug, " and diminished triads with the suffix "dim."
3. A letter name followed by a "7" with no other indication indicates a dominant 7th voicing. While there are other 7th chords, the dominant 7th is used somewhat more often than other types, or at any rate is felt to be more basic, so it gets the nod for the simplest abbreviation (see Figure 5-8).
Figure 5-8. When the suffix of the chord symbol is "7" with no other indication, a dominant 7th chord is meant.
4. The major 7th, minor 7th, and diminished 7th chords are indicated with the suffix "maj7" (or "M7"), "m7" (or "min7"), and "dim7" (or "07"). With both the maj7 and m7 chords, the "maj" or "m" conveniently tells us how to play both the 3rd and the 7th of the chord (see Figure 5-9). Some arrangers use a triangle after the root letter to indicate a major 7th chord.
Figure 5-9. The suffix "maj7 (or "M7") indicates a major 7th chord, "m7" (or "min7") indicates a minor 7th chord, and "dim7" (or "07") indicates a diminished 7th chord.
5. This leaves us with the half-diminished, augmented-major, and minormajor 7th chords. Because these are somewhat less common, they have to make do with the messiest abbreviations (see Figure 5-10). The half-diminished 7th, in fact, has two abbreviations, which are used interchangeably. Some arrangers indicate it with a
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