Guitar Chord Names Explained: What Every Chord Symbol Means

You open a song sheet and see chords like Cadd9, Dsus4, Em7 and G/B. If you've only learned basic chords, those names can be confusing. But chord names follow a logical system, and once you understand it, you can decode almost any chord symbol in seconds.

This guide explains every common chord name in plain English, with what it means, how it sounds and an example you can play.

The basic structure of a chord name

Every chord name has up to three parts:

1. The root: the letter name, like C, F♯ or B♭. This is the note the chord is built on.
2. The quality: major, minor, diminished, augmented or suspended.
3. Extensions and alterations: numbers like 7, 9 or add9 that add extra notes.

Sometimes there's a fourth part, a slash and a bass note, like G/B.

Major chords

Written as: C, G, D (just the letter). Sometimes "Cmaj" or "CM".

Notes: root, major third, fifth. C major is C, E, G.

Sound: bright, happy, stable.

Minor chords

Written as: Am, Em, Dm. Sometimes "Amin" or "A-".

Notes: root, minor third, fifth. A minor is A, C, E.

Sound: sad, soft, serious.

Power chords (5)

Written as: E5, A5, G5.

Notes: root and fifth only, no third. That means they're neither major nor minor.

Sound: strong and neutral, perfect with distortion. See our guide to power chords.

Seventh chords

Seventh chords add a fourth note on top of the triad. There are three main types, and the naming is where most confusion happens:

Name	Written as	Notes in C	Sound
Dominant seventh	C7	C, E, G, B♭	Bluesy, wants to move
Major seventh	Cmaj7, CM7, CΔ7	C, E, G, B	Dreamy, smooth
Minor seventh	Cm7, Cmin7, C-7	C, E♭, G, B♭	Mellow, soulful

The key rule: a plain "7" always means a dominant seventh, with a flattened seventh. "maj7" means the natural seventh. For shapes, see our seventh chords guide.

Suspended chords (sus2, sus4)

Written as: Dsus2, Dsus4, Asus4. "Dsus" alone usually means Dsus4.

Notes: the third is replaced with the second (sus2) or the fourth (sus4). Dsus4 is D, G, A.

Sound: open, unresolved, often resolving back to the major chord. Our sus chords guide covers them in detail.

Add chords (add9, add11)

Written as: Cadd9, Gadd9, Dadd11.

Notes: a basic triad plus one extra note, without the seventh. Cadd9 is C, E, G, D.

Sound: bright, shimmering, modern. Cadd9 is one of the most popular chords in acoustic pop.

Ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords

Written as: C9, Cmaj9, Cm9, G11, G13.

Meaning: unlike add chords, these usually include the seventh too. C9 is C7 with a ninth added (C, E, G, B♭, D). The higher numbers stack more notes. On guitar, some notes are often left out to make them playable.

Sound: rich and jazzy. Common in funk, soul and jazz.

Sixth chords (6, m6)

Written as: C6, G6, Am6.

Notes: the triad plus the sixth note of the scale. C6 is C, E, G, A.

Sound: sweet, vintage, a bit jazzy. Common in swing, surf and old pop.

Diminished chords (dim, °)

Written as: Bdim, B°, Bdim7, B°7.

Notes: root, minor third, flattened fifth. B diminished is B, D, F. A diminished seventh adds a doubly flattened seventh.

Sound: tense, unstable, mysterious. Used as passing chords.

Half-diminished (m7♭5, ø)

Written as: Bm7♭5, Bø.

Notes: a diminished triad plus a minor seventh. Bm7♭5 is B, D, F, A.

Sound: dark and sophisticated. Common in jazz and minor-key ballads.

Augmented chords (aug, +)

Written as: Caug, C+.

Notes: root, major third, sharpened fifth. C augmented is C, E, G♯.

Sound: dreamy and unsettled, as if something is about to happen.

Slash chords

Written as: G/B, C/G, D/F♯.

Meaning: play the chord on the left, with the note on the right as the lowest note. G/B is a G chord with B in the bass. On guitar, that usually means a slightly different shape or a different bass string.

Why they're used: to create smooth, walking bass lines between chords. G, G/B, C is a classic example: the bass walks G, B, C.

Altered and other symbols

• ♭5, ♯5, ♭9, ♯9: a note in the chord is lowered or raised by a half step. E7♯9 is a famous rock and funk chord.
• no3, omit3: leave out the third.
• N.C.: "no chord." Stop playing, or let someone else play alone.
• Repeat signs and %: repeat the previous bar's chord.

Quick reference chart

Symbol	Meaning	Example
(letter only)	Major	G
m, min, -	Minor	Em
5	Power chord	A5
7	Dominant seventh	D7
maj7, M7, Δ	Major seventh	Fmaj7
m7	Minor seventh	Am7
sus2, sus4	Suspended	Dsus4
add9	Added ninth	Cadd9
6	Added sixth	G6
dim, °	Diminished	B°
m7♭5, ø	Half-diminished	Bø
aug, +	Augmented	C+
/ (slash)	Specific bass note	G/B

What to do when you see an unfamiliar chord

1. Find the root. The letter tells you the main note.
2. Check major or minor. Is there an "m" right after the letter?
3. Look at the numbers. 7, 9, sus or add tell you what's added or changed.
4. Simplify if you need to. As a beginner, you can usually replace a complex chord with its basic version: play Am for Am7, G for Gadd9, D for Dsus4, C for C/G. It won't sound identical, but it will fit.
5. Look it up. Our chord library and guitar chord chart show shapes for all the common types.

Why chord names matter

Understanding chord names helps you read song sheets, communicate with other musicians, choose substitutes when a chord is too hard, and add color to your own playing. It's also the first step toward understanding how chords are built, which is covered in our guide to music theory for guitar beginners.

Chord names in different styles of music

The chord names you'll see depend a lot on the style:

• Folk, country and pop: mostly major and minor chords, with the occasional 7, sus or add9.
• Rock and punk: lots of power chords (5) and the occasional slash chord.
• Blues: dominant sevenths (7) and ninths (9) on almost every chord.
• Soul, R&B and funk: minor sevenths (m7), ninths and the occasional ♯9.
• Jazz: sevenths everywhere, plus extensions (9, 11, 13), alterations (♭9, ♯5) and half-diminished chords.

So if a jazz chart looks overwhelming, that's normal; it's using the full vocabulary. Start with styles that use simpler names and expand as you go.

Major vs. minor: how to tell at a glance

The biggest source of confusion is the lowercase "m" versus "maj." Remember this: "m" on its own means minor, and "maj" or a capital "M" means major seventh. So Am7 is a minor chord with a minor seventh, while Amaj7 is a major chord with a major seventh. They sound completely different. When a chart is hand-written, look carefully: a quick scribble of "Am7" and "AM7" can look similar but mean very different chords.

Enharmonic names

Some chords have two possible names for the same notes. F♯ and G♭ are the same chord on guitar; so are C♯m and D♭m. Which name is used depends on the key. A song in E will use F♯m; a song in D♭ will use G♭. On the guitar, you play the same shape either way, so don't let the name throw you.

Practice: decode these chords

Test yourself. Cover the answers and decode each chord name:

1. Em7 (E minor with a minor seventh: E, G, B, D)
2. Asus4 (A with the third replaced by the fourth: A, D, E)
3. D/F♯ (a D chord with F♯ as the lowest note)
4. Gmaj7 (G major with a major seventh: G, B, D, F♯)
5. B7 (B dominant seventh: B, D♯, F♯, A)
6. Cadd9 (C major plus D: C, E, G, D)

If you got four or more right, you can read most song sheets with confidence.

Quick recap

• A letter alone is major; 'm' is minor; '5' is a power chord.
• '7' is dominant seventh; 'maj7' is major seventh; 'm7' is minor seventh.
• 'sus' replaces the third; 'add' adds a note without the seventh.
• A slash names the bass note: G/B is G with B on the bottom.

With these rules, very few chord symbols will catch you out. When one does, break it into root, quality and extras, and it will usually make sense in a few seconds.

Next steps

Next time you look at a song sheet, decode each chord name using the chart above before you play. Then try the "real" version and the simplified version, and listen to the difference. Within a few weeks, unfamiliar chord names will stop being a barrier and start being an invitation.

Fretwork's step-by-step path introduces new chords at the right pace for your level and puts them straight into songs. The first two stages are free, no card required.

Frequently asked questions