Download Transposing Chord Symbols

Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Transposing Chord Symbols
There’s no easy way of doing this – the only way is to identify the interval of the
transposition, minor third, perfect fifth etc. and apply it to the original chord
symbol. All other chord information, quality (minor, major, diminished,
augmented) and extensions (7th, 9th etc.) remain the same.
The following table gives you the transpositions for all the most common notes.
Find your original note along the top row, and follow the column down until you’re
opposite the interval you require – there’s your transposed note:
To transpose a Dma7 chord up an augmented fourth:
Find D on the top row, go down to the aug4/dim5 row and the note is G#/ Ab
The chord is therefore G#ma7 (or Abma7 if you’re working in a flat key)
(this table only works for upward transposition)
Min2
Maj2
Min3
Maj3
P4
Aug4/
dim5
P5
Aug5/
min6
Maj6
Min7
Maj7
C
C#
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C#/Db
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
G#/Ab
A
A
A#/Bb
A#/Bb
B
A#/Bb
B
C
B
C
C#
C
C#
D
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#
A#/Bb
A#/Bb
B
A#/Bb
B
C
B
C
C
C#
C#
D
D
C#
D
D
D#/Eb
E
F
E
F
D#/Eb
D#/Eb
E
D#/Eb
F#/Gb
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#
D
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#
D
D#/Eb
A#/Bb
B
C
C#
D
D#/Eb
E
D#/Eb
E
E
F
F
F
F#/Gb
G
G
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
F#/Gb
G#/Ab
A
Page 1
B
C
C#
D
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Italian terms
Used in traditionally notated music
Adagietto
rather slow
Ad libitum, ad lib.
At choice, meaning that a passage may be played
freely
Agitato
agitated
Alla breve
with a minim beat, equivalent to 2/2 time, implying a
faster tempo than the note values might suggest
Amore
love
Anima
soul,spirit (con anima:with feeling)
Animato
animated, lively
Ben
well
Brio
vigour
Comodo
convenient (tempo comodo: at a comfortable speed)
Deciso
with determination
Delicato
delicate
Energico
energetic
Forza
force
Largamente
broadly
Leggerio
light, nimble
Marcato
emphatic, accented
Marziale
in a military style
Mesto
sad
Pesante
heavy
Prima, primo
first
Risoluto
bold, strong
Ritmico
rhythmically
Rubato
with some freedom of time
Page 2
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Scherzando
playful/joking
Seconda
second
Semplice
simple, plain
Sempre
always
Stringendo
gradually getting faster
Subito
suddenly
Tanto
so much
Tranquillo
calm
Triste
sad
Volta
time (prima volta: first time)
Page 3
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Extended Chords (9th, 11th, 13th):
We discussed compound intervals, that is intervals of more than an octave, in an
earlier lesson. How might we notate the addition of these as extensions to a
chord?
The first point to make is that extensions of the tenth and twelve are just thirds
and fifths plus an octave. The extensions of real interest are the ninth, eleventh
and thirteenth. The chords are named for the extension; so, ninth chords,
eleventh chords and thirteenth chords. The extensions are added to seventh
chords, the quality and function of which is preserved. Thus, a dominant chord
with an added ninth remains a dominant chord.
If you who find the naming of extended chords confusing, remember that it is
assumed that ninths are added to seventh chords to produce ninth chords, that
eleventh and ninths are both added to seventh chords to produce eleventh
chords and that thirteenths, elevenths and ninths are all added to seventh
chords to give thirteenth chords. So if one calls a chord an eleventh it is
assumed that the ninth and eleventh are present and that there is a seventh
chord present too.
The quality of the chord is determined by the seventh and the greatest extension
names the chord. Thus, a major thirteenth chord will be a major seventh chord
plus a ninth and a thirteenth, while a dominant ninth is a dominant seventh
chord plus a ninth.
There are a few practical rules about building extended chords. We list these
below.
Ninth Chords
major ninth is added to all possible seventh chords.
Page 4
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Here are the four ninth chords on C all in root position; in order they are
major ninth
minor ninth
dominant ninth
minor ninth flat five
Eleventh Chords
Here are the four eleventh chords on C all in root position; in order they are
major eleventh
minor eleventh
dominant eleventh
minor eleventh flat five
Eleventh Chord: if the third is missing then adding an eleventh produces a
'suspended fourth' chord: sus4 or sus
Page 5
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Thirteenth Chords
major thirteenth is added to the eleventh chords given above
if, to relieve the texture, the eleventh is missing the chord remains a 13th;
if, however, the eleventh is present but altered, this must be shown in the name
of the chord
Here are a number of other chords that feature in modern popular music.
Power Chords
Where one wants neutrality as to whether a chord is major or minor, you can
leave out the third. A chord made up only of the key-note and its fifth (maybe
plus octaves up or down) is called a power chord. It is written as the (letter
name of the chord) together with the number 5: e.g. G5.
Suspended Fourth Chords
If the third in a chord is changed to a fourth the chord feels as though it is waiting
for the fourth to resolve back to the third. This feeling of suspension gives the
chord its name, a suspended fourth chord. We have already pointed out in the
table above that sometimes suspended fourth chords are mistakenly called
eleventh chords.
Add2 Chords
If a second is added to a major or minor triad or to a power chord the chord is
called an add2 chord. A figure 2 is added to the end of the chord name, with a
slash in the case of a power chord.
Augmented & Diminished Fifth Chords
The fifth is often raised (augmented) or lowered (diminished) in major triads and
dominant seventh chords.
Page 6
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
Sixth Chords
If a major sixth is added to a major or minor triad the chord is called a sixth
chord. The chord name is followed by a figure 6.
Six/Nine Chords
If both a major sixth and a major ninth are added to a major or minor triad the
chord is called a 6/9 chord. A six/nine chord is shown as the chord name
followed by 6/9.
Polychords
A polychord is one triad placed above another, often used by keyboard players
where each hand plays a different triad. The standard notation is to place one
chord name above a horizontal line with the second chord name below the line.
Naming Chords
C5, C(no3), C(omit3)
C power chord
CG
Cm5, Cmi5, Co, C dim
C minor flat 5 or C diminished
C Eb Gb
Cm, Cmi
C minor triad
C Eb G
Cb5
C major flat 5 triad
C E Gb
C
C or C major triad
CEG
C+
C augmented triad
C E G#
Csus4, Csus
C suspended 4th triad
CFG
Cmi2, Cm(add2)
C minor add 2
C D Eb G
Cmi4, Cm(add4)
C minor add 4
C Eb F G
C2, C(add2)
C major add 2
CDEG
Page 7
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
C4, C(add4)
C major add 4
CEFG
Cdim, Co, Co7
C diminished seventh
C Eb Gb Bb
Cm7b5, Cmi7b5, Cø
C half diminished seventh
C Eb Gb Bb
Cm6, Cmi6
C minor sixth
C Eb G A
Cm7, Cmi7
C minor seventh
C Eb G Bb
C6
C7, V7
C sixth
C seventh or dominant seventh
CEGA
C E G Bb
Cmaj7
C major 7th
CEGB
C7+, C+7
C augmented 7th
C E G# B
Cm6/9,
C minor six ninth
C Eb G A D
Cm9, Cmi9
C minor ninth
C Eb G Bb D
C7b9
C seven flat ninth
C E G Bb D
C9
C ninth
C E G Bb D
C7#9
C seven sharp ninth
C E G# Bb D
Cmaj9
C major ninth
CEGBD
C6/9, C69, C6(add9)
C six ninth
CEGAD
C79+, C+7
C seven flat nine augmented
C E G# Bb Db
C9+, C+9
C ninth augmented
C E G# Bb D
Cm11, Cmi11
C minor eleventh
C Eb G Bb D F
Page 8
Perth College
Faculty of Arts
Language of Music Worksheet 11
C7911
C seven flat ninth sharp eleventh
C911
C ninth sharp eleventh
Cmaj911
C major ninth sharp eleventh
Cm13, Cmi13
C1311 9
C13
C minor thirteenth
C thirteenth sharp eleventh flat nine
C thirteenth
C E G Bb Db F#
C E G Bb D F#
C E G B D F#
C Eb G Bb D F A
C E G Bb D F# Ab
C E G Bb D F A
Page 9