Five note chords

Our guide to all chords is split into four parts:

Triads have three notes, and 7th chords have 4 notes. Most added note chords also have 4 notes, which means that almost all 5 note chords are extended chords.

Extended chords can be further categorized as pure extended chords and altered chords, plus a small group of suspended extended chords.

Added note chords

Added note chords are based on triads plus another note, but not the 7th. This essentially means the 6 or the 9, or a combination of both, the 6/9 chord.

Only the 6/9 chord has 5 notes.

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

6/9

C6/9

root
major 3rd
5th
6th
9

Minor 6/9

Cm6/9

root
minor 3rd
5th
6th
9

Extended chords

7th chords are chords which have the chord factors 1-3-5-7.

Extended chords extend 7th chords with one or more of the chord factors 9, 11 and 13.

That means that we can build 5-note chords with the chord factors:

1-3-5-7-9
1-3-5-7-11
1-3-5-7-13

In addition we can build suspended extended chords with the chord factors:

1-4-5-7-9
1-4-5-7-13

By leaving out the 5th, we can also construct 5-note chords with the chord factors:

1-3-7-9-11
1-3-7-9-13
1-3-7-11-13

Chords with 1 extension note

These chords are based on 7th chords plus one of 9, 11 or 13.

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

9th

root
major 3rd
5th
minor 7th
9

Minor 9th

Cm9

root
minor 3rd
5th
minor 7th
9

Major 9th

CΔ7/9

root
major 3rd
5th
major 7th
9

Minor 11

Cm11

root
minor 3rd
5th
minor 7th
11

C13

root
major 3rd
5th
minor 7th
13

Major 13

CΔ7/13

root
major 3rd
5th
major 7th
13

Minor 13

Cm13

root
minor 3rd
5th
minor 7th
13

Suspended extended chords

Suspended extended chords contain the 4th - or suspended 4th - in place of the 3rd.

There is no 11 suspended 4th chord, because the 4th and the 11 are the same note.

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

9 suspended 4th

C9sus4

root
4th
5th
minor 7th
9

13 suspended 4th

C13sus4

root
4th
5th
minor 7th
13

Chords with 2 extension notes

These are the pure (or non-altered) extended chords with 2 extension notes, but no 5th.

There is a larger set of altered chords with 2 extension notes, but no 5th, after the table of altered chords below.

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

13 (no 5)

C13
C13(add9)

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
9
13

Minor 13 (no 5)

Cm13
Cm13(add9)

root
minor 3rd
minor 7th
9
13

Altered chords

An altered chord is any extended chord, where the any of the 5, 9, 11 and 13 have been moved up (♯) or down (♭) one semitone.

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

9 flat 5

This chord will be identified as 9♯11 in chordle.

C9♭5

C9♯11

root
major 3rd
flat 5
minor 7th
9

9 sharp 5

Contains the same notes as 7♭13.

C9♯5

C7♭13

root
major 3rd
sharp 5
minor 7th
9

Flat 9 chord

C7♭9

root
major 3rd
5th
minor 7th
flat 9

7 flat 5 flat 9

Contains the same notes as ♭9♯11.

C7♭5♭9

C♭9♯11

root
major 3rd
flat 5
minor 7th
flat 9

7 sharp 5 flat 9

Contains the same notes as 7♭9♭13.

C7♯5♭9

C7♭9♭13

root
major 3rd
sharp 5
minor 7th
flat 9

Sharp 9 chord

C7♯9

root
major 3rd
5th
minor 7th
sharp 9

7 flat 5 sharp 9

C7♭5♯9

root
major 3rd
flat 5
minor 7th
sharp 9

7 sharp 5 sharp 9

Contains the same notes as 7♯9♭13.

C7♯5♯9

C7♯9♭13

root
major 3rd
sharp 5
minor 7th
sharp 9

Sharp 11

C7♯11

root
major 3rd
5th
minor 7th
sharp 11

Major 7 sharp 11

CΔ7/♯11

root
major 3rd
5th
major 7th
sharp 11

Flat 13

C7♭13

root
major 3rd
5th
minor 7th
flat 13

13 flat 5

Contains the same notes as 13♯11.

C13♭5

C13♯11

root
major 3rd
flat 5
minor 7th
13

13 sharp 5

C13♯5

root
major 3rd
sharp 5
minor 7th
13

Altered chords with 2 extension notes

This table contains altered chords with two extension notes, but no 5th.

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

9 sharp 11 (no 5)

Contains the same notes as 9♭5.

C9♯11
C9♭5

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
9
sharp 11

flat 9 sharp 11 (no 5)

This chord will be identified as ♭5♭9 in chordle.

C♭9♯11

C♭5♭9

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
flat 9
sharp 11

13 flat 9 (no 5)

C13♭9

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
flat 9
13

13 sharp 9 (no 5)

C13♯9

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
sharp 9
13

flat 13 (no 5)

This chord will be identified as 9♯5 in chordle.

C7♭13
C7♭13(add9)

C9♯5

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
9
flat 13

flat 9 flat 13 (no 5)

This chord will be identified as ♭9♯5 in chordle.

C7♭9♭13

C7♯5♭9

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
flat 9
flat 13

sharp 9 flat 13 (no 5)

This chord will be indentified as ♯5♯9 in chordle.

C7♯9♭13

C7♯5♯9

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
sharp 9
flat 13

13 sharp 11 (no 5)

This chord will be identified as 13♭5 in chordle.

C13♯11

C13♭5

root
major 3rd
minor 7th
sharp 11
13

Minor 13 flat 9 (no 5)

Cm13♭9

root
minor 3rd
minor 7th
flat 9
13

Altered suspended chords

Chord

Symbol with root C

Notes

Notes with root C

Flat 9 suspended 4th

C7♭9sus
C7♭9sus4

root
4th
5th
minor 7th
flat 9

Flat 13 suspended 4th

C7♭13sus
C7♭13sus4

root
4th
5th
minor 7th
flat 13

Flat 13 sus (no 5)

C7♭13sus
C7♭13sus4

More exactly:
C7♭13(add9)sus4

root
4th
minor 7th
9th
flat 13

Flat 9 flat 13 sus (no 5)

C7♭9♭13sus
C7♭9♭13sus4

root
4th
minor 7th
flat 9
flat 13