Jazz Guitar Chord Chart #1

Your first steps in jazz guitar chords!

Welcome to this premium online jazz guitar chord chart. I'm sure you'll find every "chord shape" you can possibly need on this very page! If not, please let me know by posting a question or a comment (at the bottom of this page) and I'll get back to you shortly...

Please note that this chart is only for chords in root position (meaning that the tonic is the lowest note). We'll deal with inversion in another jazz guitar chord chart shortly.

So...

What chords do you want to learn ?

What about symbols with 9th, 11th and 13th ?
(and all the other complicated stuff...)

Yes, I know, some jazz chords symbols can look like postal codes! It's normal... The thing is, the chords are always categorized according to their basic "7th" sound.

If you see a "Dbmin9" symbol, you will still find it in the minor section of this jazz guitar chord chart. So, please select the appropriate chord category from above ...

All in "C" ? What the ... ?!

Yes, I know. All the chords on this page are movable chord shapes.

I have indicated the "C" (root of chord) in red color. As long as you know what the bass note is, you will be able to use any chord shape in 12 keys!

For example : a basic C major 7th shape at the third fret becomes a Fmaj7 when played at the 8th fret...

This is called transposition. It's easy on the guitar... (at least when you know the notes on the biggest strings of the instrument.)

Major

How to identify a major 7th (or major 6th) chord...
Often printed on chart as :

• "major6" "maj6" or often just plain "6"
• "major7"
• "maj7"
• "M7" (notice the capital "M")
• with these symbols also :

Number 7 with a dash through it and "little triangle" symbols
(*for major 7th only*)

Major 7th

On the top line we have drop 2 voicings. The bottom has drop 3 voicings (with string skip) Carefull with the string skipping, really mute that string!

Major 6th

Please notice that the Cmaj6 (often written simply as C6) contains the same notes as the Am7 chord... C E G A !

Minor

How to identify a minor 7th (or minor 6th) chord... Often printed on chart as :

• "minor6" "min6" and sometimes "-6"
• "minor7"
• "min7"
• "m7" (notice the small "m")
• with this symbols also : "-7" (it's a minus sign)

[*The 6th is interchangeable with the 13th*]

Minor 7th

Minor 6th
(or Minor 13th)

Please notice that the Cmin6 (often written simply as Cm6 or C-6) contains the same notes as the Am7 (b5) chord... C Eb G A !

Minor 9th

Minor 11th

Dominant (just "7")

How identify a dominant 7th chord ... Often printed on charts as :

• 7
• 7th
• other numbers : 9, 13
• sometimes : "dom7" symbol

Basically, dominant are chords with "just a number", without any "major" or "minor" definition.

*Note* : If your chord symbol has a number *and* a bracket/parenthesis with alterations (such as b9 or b13), you should go the the Altered Dominant section of this jazz guitar chord chart.

Dominant 7th

Dominant 9th

Learn to play the bottom right voicing higher on the fretboard (w/o the open string).

Dominant 13th

Minor 7th (b5)
(pronounced : "Minor Seventh Flat Five")

How to identify minor7th (b5) chords... often printed on charts as :

• m7(b5)
• min7(b5)
• -7(b5)
• sometimes : minor7th (flat 5th)
• with this symbol :

dashed circle meaning "half-diminished"

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