Jazz Chord Essentials: Triads

Jens Larsen
www.jenslarsen.nl
Standard tuning

= 120
Example 1 - Chords consisting of a triad + a root note
Cmaj7 Em
1 2
E-Gt

0 5 8 12 0 5 8 12
0 4 9 12 0 4 9 12
2 5 9 14 2 5 9 14
3 3 15
8

Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7( 5) Cmaj7

3 4

5 6 8 10 12 13 15 17
4 5 7 9 10 12 14 16
5 7 9 10 12 14 15 17
3 5 7 8 10 12 14 15

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 Example 2 - Triads as chords in inversions
C
8 9 10 11

0 3 8 12
1 5 8 13 1 5 8 13
0 5 9 12 0 5 9 12 0 5 9 12
2 5 10 14 2 5 10 14 2 5 10 14
3 7 10 15 3 7 10 15
3 8 12 15

Dm
12 13 14 15

1 5 10 13
3 6 10 15 3 6 10 15
2 7 10 14 2 7 10 14 2 7 10 14
3 7 12 15 3 7 12 15 3 7 12 15
5 6 12 17 5 8 12 17
5 10 13 17

Bdim
16 17 18 19

1 7 10 13
3 6 12 15 3 6 12 15
4 7 10 16 4 7 10 16 4 7 10 16
3 9 12 15 3 9 12 15 3 9 12 15
5 8 14 17 5 8 14 17
7 10 13 19

Example 3 - Basic Cadences

Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7
20 21 22 23 24 25

1 3 5 6 6 8 10 12 12
2 4 4 5 7 9 10 10 12
3 3 5 7 9 9 10 12 14

Example 4 - Altered dominant: use diminished triad from the 7th

D 7 G7( 9)
26 27

9 9 0 6 9 12
10 10 1 4 10 13
9 9 3 6 9 15
10
9

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 Example 5 - Alterations, extensions and suspensions
G7
28 29

3 5 6 6 12 12
4 4 7 9 10 10
3 3 9 9 12 14

G7
30 31

3 2 6 6 12 12
4 4 7 6 10 10
3 3 9 9 12 11

32 33

3 3 6 6 12 13
4 5 7 7 10 10
3 3 9 10 12 12

Example 6 - 11th instead of 5 on m7 chords and major 7th chords

Dm7
34 35

1 1 6 6 10 8
2 0 5 5 10 10
3 3 7 5 10 10

Cmaj7
36 37

5 5 8 7 12 12
4 4 9 9 12 11
5 4 9 9 14 14

Cmaj7
38 39

5 5 8 8 12 10
4 2 9 9 12 12
5 5 9 7 14 14

3/4
 Example 7 - Turnaround
Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 A7alt
40 41 42 43

1 1 0 3 5 2 8
2 0 1 4 4 3 2 3 6
3 3 3 3 5 5 5 8

Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 A7alt

44 45 46 47

6 6 8 10 13 11
5 7 8 9 9 12 12
5 7 9 9 9 11 11

Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 A7alt

48 49 50 51

8 10 11 9 10 12 13 11
10 10 10 10 12 12 12 12
10 10 9 9 14 14 11 11

Dm7 G7 Cmaj7
52 53 54 55

7 (7)
10 12 10 8 (8)
10 12 10 10 10 9
10 14 13
8

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