Basic Chord Shapes
The charts below should get you past the gauntlet of learning your basic chord shapes.
They are not everything you need to know, but the little knowledge you know to make a potent dent in your progress.
They include a chart which contains your basic 3 5 7 9 based ii V I shapes. Playing down will get you the chords in all keys. Playing across will get you the progressions in all keys.
The second series are scale harmonizations based on 4 way close harmonizations (the George Shearing/Barry Harris stuff.) This is the system where you harmonize entire key centers with altering Major 6 and Diminished chords based on the second degree of the scale. Note how the top notes of each chord spell out the key center!
They are not everything you need to know, but the little knowledge you know to make a potent dent in your progress.
They include a chart which contains your basic 3 5 7 9 based ii V I shapes. Playing down will get you the chords in all keys. Playing across will get you the progressions in all keys.
The second series are scale harmonizations based on 4 way close harmonizations (the George Shearing/Barry Harris stuff.) This is the system where you harmonize entire key centers with altering Major 6 and Diminished chords based on the second degree of the scale. Note how the top notes of each chord spell out the key center!
ii-V-I progressions in all keys
Learn the basic chord shapes by working down the chart. The first column are the II chords. Second are the V chords and third the I chords. (Alternating roads also feature G6b9/13. Then work across to get the actual progressions (II V I)
ii–V–I Progression Chart (12 Keys)
This chart includes the 12 major keys and corrects enharmonic notations for clarity.
| Key | ii Chord | Notes | V Chord | Notes | I Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C Major | D minor 9 | (D) F A C E | G¹³ | (G) F A B E | C major 6 | (C) E G A C / D |
| G⁷♭9(13) | (G) F A♭ B E | |||||
| F Major | G minor 9 | (G) B♭ D F A | C¹³ | (C) B♭ D E A | F major 6 | (F) A C D F / G |
| C⁷♭9(13) | (C) B♭ D♭ E A | |||||
| B♭ Major | C minor 9 | (C) E♭ G B♭ D | F¹³ | (F) E♭ G A D | B♭ major 6 | (B♭) D F G B♭ / C |
| F⁷♭9(13) | (F) E♭ G♭ A D | |||||
| E♭ Major | F minor 9 | (F) A♭ C E♭ G | B♭¹³ | (B♭) A♭ C D G | E♭ major 6 | (E♭) G B♭ C E♭ / F |
| B♭⁷♭9(13) | (B♭) A♭ C♭ D G | |||||
| A♭ Major | B♭ minor 9 | (B♭) D♭ F A♭ C | E♭¹³ | (E♭) D♭ F G C | A♭ major 6 | (A♭) C E♭ F A♭ / B♭ |
| E♭⁷♭9(13) | (E♭) D♭ E G C | |||||
| D♭ Major | E♭ minor 9 | (E♭) G♭ B♭ D♭ F | A♭¹³ | (A♭) G♭ B♭ C F | D♭ major 6 | (D♭) F A♭ B♭ D♭ / E♭ |
| A♭⁷♭9(13) | (A♭) G♭ A C F | |||||
| G♭ Major | A♭ minor 9 | (A♭) C♭ E♭ G♭ B♭ | D♭¹³ | (D♭) C♭ E♭ F B♭ | G♭ major 6 | (G♭) B♭ D♭ E♭ G♭ / A♭ |
| D♭⁷♭9(13) | (D♭) C♭ D F B♭ | |||||
| G Major | A minor 9 | (A) C E G B | D¹³ | (D) C E F♯ B | G major 6 | (G) B D E G / A |
| D⁷♭9(13) | (D) C E♭ F♯ B | |||||
| D Major | E minor 9 | (E) G B D F♯ | A¹³ | (A) G B C♯ F♯ | D major 6 | (D) F♯ A B D / E |
| A⁷♭9(13) | (A) G B♭ C♯ F♯ | |||||
| A Major | B minor 9 | (B) D F♯ A C♯ | E¹³ | (E) D F♯ G♯ C♯ | A major 6 | (A) C♯ E F♯ A / B |
| E⁷♭9(13) | (E) D F G♯ C♯ | |||||
| E Major | F♯ minor 9 | (F♯) A C♯ E G♯ | B¹³ | (B) A C♯ D♯ G♯ | E major 6 | (E) G♯ B C♯ E / F♯ |
| B⁷♭9(13) | (B) A C D♯ G♯ | |||||
| B Major | C♯ minor 9 | (C♯) E G♯ B D♯ | F♯¹³ | (F♯) E G♯ A♯ D♯ | B major 6 | (B) D♯ F♯ G♯ B / C♯ |
| F♯⁷♭9(13) | (F♯) E G A♯ D♯ |
Note: In the I chord, you can choose to play either the root or the 9th (after the slash) to explore different harmonic textures.
Four Way Close + Drop 2 and Drop 3 Systems
This system has resurged due to a wave of interest in the teachings of Barry Harris. It allows you to rapidly work your way through key centers by utilizing a base major chord that contains the root, third, fifth and sixth and a diminished voicing that aligns with the dominant chord of the key. For example, in the key of C you would alternate between inversions of C6 (C E G A) and a diminished chord with the notes D F Ab B.
Note how the lead voicings spell out a C Major scale (plus Harmonic 6th.)
Note how the lead voicings spell out a C Major scale (plus Harmonic 6th.)
E G A C
F Ab B D
G A C E
Ab B D F
A C E G
B D F Ab
C E G A
D F Ab B
F Ab B D
G A C E
Ab B D F
A C E G
B D F Ab
C E G A
D F Ab B
There are other variations of this system as well. For example you can harmonize Minor 6 as well as dominant 7 chords to harmonize melodies build on minor and dominant chords.
Getting fluent on these systems will take your voice leading skills to the next level.
Getting fluent on these systems will take your voice leading skills to the next level.
| 6th_dim_bebop_all_keys.docx |
Print out this chart for your basic 4-way close + drop 2 and 3 voicings.
4-Way Close Harmonization Charts
Key of C
- 1. E G A C (C on top)
- 2. F A♭ B D (D on top)
- 3. G A C E (E on top)
- 4. A♭ B D F (F on top)
- 5. A C E G (G on top)
- 6. B D F A♭ (A♭ on top)
- 7. C E G A (A on top)
- 8. D F A♭ B (B on top)
- 9. E G A C (C on top)
Key of F
- 1. A C D F (F on top)
- 2. B♭ D♭ E G (G on top)
- 3. C D F A (A on top)
- 4. D♭ E G B♭ (B♭ on top)
- 5. D F A C (C on top)
- 6. E G B♭ D♭ (D♭ on top)
- 7. F A C D (D on top)
- 8. G B♭ D♭ E (E on top)
- 9. A C D F (F on top)
Key of B♭
- 1. D F G B♭ (B♭ on top)
- 2. E♭ G♭ A C (C on top)
- 3. F G B♭ D (D on top)
- 4. G♭ A C E♭ (E♭ on top)
- 5. G B♭ D F (F on top)
- 6. A C E♭ G♭ (G♭ on top)
- 7. B♭ D F G (G on top)
- 8. C E♭ G♭ A (A on top)
- 9. D F G B♭ (B♭ on top)
Key of E♭
- 1. G B♭ C E♭ (E♭ on top)
- 2. A♭ C♭ D F (F on top)
- 3. B♭ C E♭ G (G on top)
- 4. C♭ D F A♭ (A♭ on top)
- 5. C E♭ G B♭ (B♭ on top)
- 6. D F A♭ C♭ (C♭ on top)
- 7. E♭ G B♭ C (C on top)
- 8. F A♭ C♭ D (D on top)
- 9. G B♭ C E♭ (E♭ on top)
Key of A♭
- 1. C E♭ F A♭ (A♭ on top)
- 2. D♭ F♭ G B (B on top)
- 3. E♭ F A♭ C (C on top)
- 4. F♭ G B D♭ (D♭ on top)
- 5. F A♭ C E♭ (E♭ on top)
- 6. G B D♭ F♭ (F♭ on top)
- 7. A♭ C E♭ F (F on top)
- 8. B D♭ F♭ G (G on top)
- 9. C E♭ F A♭ (A♭ on top)
Key of D♭
- 1. F A♭ B D♭ (D♭ on top)
- 2. G♭ B♭♭ C E (E on top)
- 3. A♭ B D♭ F (F on top)
- 4. B♭♭ C E G♭ (G♭ on top)
- 5. B D♭ F A♭ (A♭ on top)
- 6. C E G♭ B♭♭ (B♭♭ on top)
- 7. D♭ F A♭ B (B on top)
- 8. E G♭ B♭♭ C (C on top)
- 9. F A♭ B D♭ (D♭ on top)
Key of G♭
- 1. B♭ D♭ E G♭ (G♭ on top)
- 2. B D F A (A on top)
- 3. D♭ E G♭ B♭ (B♭ on top)
- 4. D F A B (B on top)
- 5. E G♭ B♭ D♭ (D♭ on top)
- 6. F A B D (D on top)
- 7. G♭ B♭ D♭ E (E on top)
- 8. A B D F (F on top)
- 9. B♭ D♭ E G♭ (G♭ on top)
Key of B
- 1. D♯ F♯ G♯ B (B on top)
- 2. E G B♭ C♯ (C♯ on top)
- 3. F♯ G♯ B D♯ (D♯ on top)
- 4. G A♯ C♯ E (E on top)
- 5. G♯ B D♯ F♯ (F♯ on top)
- 6. A♯ C♯ E G (G on top)
- 7. B D♯ F♯ G♯ (G♯ on top)
- 8. C♯ E G A♯ (A♯ on top)
- 9. D♯ F♯ G♯ B (B on top)
Key of E
- 1. G♯ B C♯ E (E on top)
- 2. A C D F♯ (F♯ on top)
- 3. B C♯ E G♯ (G♯ on top)
- 4. C D F♯ A (A on top)
- 5. C♯ E G♯ B (B on top)
- 6. D F♯ A C (C on top)
- 7. E G♯ B C♯ (C♯ on top)
- 8. F♯ A C D (D on top)
- 9. G♯ B C♯ E (E on top)
Key of A
- 1. C♯ E F♯ A (A on top)
- 2. D F G B (B on top)
- 3. E F♯ A C♯ (C♯ on top)
- 4. F G B D (D on top)
- 5. F♯ A C♯ E (E on top)
- 6. G B D F (F on top)
- 7. A C♯ E F♯ (F♯ on top)
- 8. B D F G (G on top)
- 9. C♯ E F♯ A (A on top)
Key of D
- 1. F♯ A B D (D on top)
- 2. G B♭ C♯ E (E on top)
- 3. A B D F♯ (F♯ on top)
- 4. B♭ C♯ E G (G on top)
- 5. B D F♯ A (A on top)
- 6. C♯ E G B♭ (B♭ on top)
- 7. D F♯ A B (B on top)
- 8. E G B♭ C♯ (C♯ on top)
- 9. F♯ A B D (D on top)
Key of G
- 1. B D E G (G on top)
- 2. C E♭ F A (A on top)
- 3. D E G B (B on top)
- 4. E♭ F A C (C on top)
- 5. E G B D (D on top)
- 6. F A C E♭ (E♭ on top)
- 7. G B D E (E on top)
- 8. A C E♭ F (F on top)
- 9. B D E G (G on top)
Note: Some chords contain enharmonically equivalent notes (e.g., B♭♭ is the same as A). Adjustments are made to maintain proper notation in each key.
Explanation:
- Imaj6 Chord: Built on the tonic (I) of each key, adding the major 6th.
- IIdim7 Chord: Built on the supertonic (II) of each key, forming a diminished seventh chord.
- Inversions: Chords are inverted to place the specified top note, following chromatic voice leading.
- Voice Leading: The top voice ascends chromatically from the root note up an octave.
Minor 6th Harmonization Charts
Note: Some chords contain enharmonically equivalent notes. Adjustments are made to maintain proper notation in each key.
Explanation:
- Im6 Chord: Built on the tonic (I) of each minor key, adding the major 6th interval.
- IIdim7 Chord: Built on the supertonic (II), forming a diminished seventh chord.
- Inversions: Chords are inverted to place the specified top note, following chromatic voice leading.
- Voice Leading: The top voice ascends chromatically from the root note up an octave.
Dominant 7th Harmonization Charts
Note: Some chords contain enharmonically equivalent notes. Adjustments are made to maintain proper notation in each key.
Explanation:
- Dominant 7th Chord: A four-note chord consisting of a major triad plus a minor seventh.
- Inversions: Chords are inverted to place the specified top note, following smooth voice leading.
- Voice Leading: The top voice typically moves to create a smooth, stepwise progression.
- Enharmonic Equivalents: Used to maintain correct notation and minimize awkward spellings.