17 Easy Jazz Guitar Chords (Chord Charts & Exercises)

Jazz guitar chords can look and sound complicated, but you only need a small set of easy jazz chords to get started. This lesson shows you how to play jazz chords and gives you a handy chord chart with 17 must-know chords, along with guitar tabs and exercises to help you practice and learn quickly.

The chords in this tutorial are the most common jazz chords on guitar, used in countless standards and progressions. You can use these shapes to instantly add jazzy chords to your own songs.

As a beginner, your goal is simple: get each chord under your fingers and make every note sing. Some shapes might feel tricky at first, so take your time and make sure each note of the chord sounds good.

As you move through the lesson, you’ll find exercises and examples that show you how to use these basic jazz chords in real chord progressions, so you can start using them in your playing right away.

Some terminology and concepts in this lesson may go over your head at first, and that’s okay. Focus on playing the examples and practicing the chords. It’s helpful to get familiar with music theory, even if you don’t understand everything right away.

 

 

Start Here – Your First Jazz Guitar Chords

 

The best way to learn jazz chords is to start playing them right away instead of just studying them one by one.

The chord progression in the example below gives you your first set of important chord shapes that are used all the time in jazz.

Play the chords slowly and don’t worry too much about the rhythm. Focus on getting used to the shapes and how they sound together.

 

 

 

 

What Are Jazz Chords?

What is a jazz chord? This question is trickier than it seems, because many chords we call “jazz chords” also appear in pop, rock, blues, and even classical music.

Jazz chords are typically four notes or more. They go beyond basic triads by including at least the 7th, with extensions like the 9, 11, and 13 adding color.

For example, in rock and pop music, a G chord is often played as a simple barre or power chord.

In jazz, that same chord often turns into Gmaj7, G6, or G6/9, giving it a richer sound.

 

How do jazz chords work?

Jazz chords are built by stacking intervals, starting with a basic triad and adding the 7th and extensions like the 9th or 13th. These extra notes add tension and color, giving jazz its unique sound.

To help you understand how chords are built, the diagrams on this page show you their interval structure. This makes it easier to visualize how each note stacks up on the fretboard.

Here are the interval formulas for the five chord types you’ll learn first:

• Major 7: 1 – 3 – 5 – 7
• Dominant 7: 1 – 3 – 5 – b7
• Minor 7: 1 – b3 – 5 – b7
• Half-Diminished 7: 1 – b3 – b5 – b7
• Diminished 7: 1 – b3 – b5 – bb7

These formulas are explained in more detail in our chord theory lesson, so don’t worry about memorizing them just yet.

You can start playing jazz guitar without much music theory at first, although learning it will make your journey smoother.

 

What jazz chords go together?

Chords often move in progressions such as the ii-V-I.

In C major, for example: Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7

These patterns help create movement and resolution, and they form the basis of many jazz songs.

You will learn many chord progressions by playing jazz standards and doing the exercises on this page.

For now, focus on getting the chord shapes under your fingers and hearing how they sound in progressions. The theory will make more sense as you go.

 

How to Read Guitar Chord Diagrams

The red circle in each diagram shows the root note, also called the 1 or bass note. The numbers in black circles show the other notes of the chord

In the chord charts below, all bass notes are C.

 

Chord shapes are movable, so you can slide them up or down the neck to play the same chord type in a different key.

For example: if you move Cmaj7 shape up two frets, it becomes Dmaj7.

 

 

The number below each diagram is the fret number.

In the Cmaj7 example above at the 7th fret, you would play:

• 8th fret on the lowest string
• 9th fret on the D string
• 9th fret on the G string
• 8th fret on the B string

 

 

 

An “x” on the left means the string is not played.

For this reason, these chords are usually not strummed. They are played fingerstyle with your thumb and other fingers for more control and clarity.

 

You’ll also notice that each chord type changes just one note compared to the next. This makes them easier to learn and relate to each other.

For example:

• Cmaj7 → C7: the 7 becomes a ♭7
• C7 → Cm7: the 3 becomes a ♭3

Listen to how these small changes affect the sound of the chord.

 

 

On Jazz Guitar Online, you will notice another type of chord diagram used in our sheet music. These diagrams are vertical instead of horizontal.

They show the same information, but are formatted to fit above the staff, just like regular chord symbols. Once you understand one system, the other will make sense too.

 

 

Jazz Chord Symbols

Here’s a list of jazz chords and their chord symbols as they are used in notation on a lead sheet.

Don’t worry about memorizing everything, use this as a reference and focus on the ones you actually encounter in your playing.

 

	Two common symbols for major chords. On this site, we use the first.
	Several symbols are used for minor chords. Here, we use the first two.
	The standard symbol for dominant 7 chords.
	Three common symbols for half-diminished chords. We use the first two.
	These symbols indicate diminished 7 chords.
	C6 adds the 6th to a major triad. C6/9 adds both the 6th and the 9th.
	Major chords extended with notes like the 9, 13, #11, or #5.
	Minor chords extended with notes like the 6, 9, or 11.
	Suspended chords replace the 3rd with a 4th, creating a more open sound.
	Dominant chords with added color tones (extensions) such as the 9 or 13.
	Two symbols for augmented dominant chords (1–3–#5–b7).
	Examples of dominant chords with altered extensions like b9, #9, b5, or #5.
	A shorthand for a dominant chord with altered tensions (b9, #9, b5, #5).
	These are called slash chords: chords with a different bass note than the root.

 

Jazz Guitar Chord Charts

The chord charts below show the essential jazz guitar chord shapes that every player should learn. These types of voicings are called  drop 2 and drop 3, and they are commonly used in jazz guitar.

Use the charts as a reference while you practice and as a basis for learning jazz standards. For a list of all jazz chords, download our jazz guitar chord dictionary.

Once you have these chords under your fingers, you’ll be able to play the chord changes of most jazz standards.

The most effective way to learn jazz chords is to use them in real music. Start with the chord exercises below the chord chart, then apply the same shapes to jazz standards and chord progressions.

 

Jazz Chords – Root on the 6th String

 

Jazz Chords – Root on the 5th String

 

Jazz Chords – Root on the 4th String

 

 

Basic Chord Exercises

What is the best way to learn jazz chords?

The most effective way to learn and practice jazz guitar chords is by playing them in real music instead of just working on the shapes by themselves.

Begin with easy chord progressions and well-known jazz standards. This lets you hear how the chords fit together and builds muscle memory faster.

The following exercises use the chord shapes from the chart above and introduce common chord patterns that you will encounter in many jazz standards.

 

Basic Chord Exercise 1 – Diatonic Chords

In the following exercises, you’ll play the diatonic chords of a scale.

Diatonic chords are a set of chords built using only the notes from one specific scale.

Follow these steps to get the most out of the exercises:

• Begin by playing without a metronome. Try to memorize each chord and make sure that every note sounds good.
• Once you feel ready, try playing along with the metronome backing track. This time, focus on making smooth chord changes and keeping a steady rhythm. Don’t worry if a note is muted now and then, that’s normal and will improve with practice.

The metronome clicks on beats 2 and 4, which is how jazz musicians feel the beat. This might seem strange at first, so give yourself time to get used to it.

In these exercises, the bass note is played first, then the rest of the chord. This gives you extra time to change chord shapes, making the transitions between chords a little easier.

First, you’ll play the diatonic chords of the C major scale, keeping all the root notes on the A string. Play up the scale and then back down.

 

Metronome Track (105 BPM on beats 2 and 4)

Listen & Play-Along

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Chord Exercise 2 – Chord Changes

In this exercise, you move between major 7 and dominant 7 chords built on the same root and moving through the circle of fourths:

Cmaj7 → C7 → Fmaj7 → F7 → Bbmaj7 → Bb7 …

You’ll often hear this kind of chord movement in jazz standards, where a major chord changes to a dominant chord to lead into the next chord (for example, Cmaj7 → C7 → Fmaj7).

Each chord is arpeggiated, starting with the bass note and then the other notes. This lets you hear how the quality of the chord changes and gives you time to switch shapes.

 

Metronome Track (120 BPM on beats 2 and 4)

Listen & Play-Along

 

 

In a similar exercise, you switch between major 7 and minor 7 chords on the same root:

Cmaj7 → Cm7 → Fmaj7 → Fm7 → Bbmaj7 → Bbm7 …

This shift from major to minor is also common in jazz, especially in modulations.

Again, play the chords arpeggiated and listen to how changing the 3 and 7 (from major to minor) affects the sound of the chord.

 

 

 

Basic Chord Exercise 3 – Satin Doll

In this exercise, you’ll play the chords of Satin Doll using the Charleston rhythm.

The Charleston rhythm is a jazz rhythm pattern where you play a chord on beat 1 and then again on the “and” of beat 2.

For a more advanced version of this exercise with extended chords and a more complex rhythm, see Exercise 9.

 

 

 

Basic Chord Exercise 4 – Fly Me to the Moon

In this exercise, you’ll play the chords of Fly Me to the Moon using the basic shapes from the chart above.

The rhythm is simple: each chord lasts four beats. This gives you time to focus on playing clean chord shapes and making smooth changes.

For a more detailed breakdown of this tune, take a look at my Fly Me to the Moon chord lesson.

Also try our Autumn Leaves chord lesson. It uses similar ideas and goes a bit further than the basics.

 

 

 

 

Basic Chord Exercise 5 – Walking Bass

In this short exercise, you will play a walking bass line along with chords. This is a common technique used in solo jazz guitar.

The chord progression follows a cycle of ii–V movements in the key of C major:

Cmaj7 → Am7 → Dm7 → G7 → Em7b5 → A7 → Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7

 

 

 

More Easy Jazz Guitar Chords

In this section, you will build on the basic chord shapes by adding tensions to the chords.

Tensions or extensions are extra notes (9, 11, and 13 for example) that are added to a basic chord to create a more colorful sound.

These added notes make the chords sound richer, more modern and airy.

Extended chords are used all the time in jazz, but you don’t need to learn them all at once. Think of these shapes as variations of the chords you already know.

Chords with extensions may seem more complex in theory, but that does not mean they are harder to play. In fact, many of these voicings are just as easy, or even easier, than basic chord shapes.

 

Major 7th Chords

Here are nine ways to play major chords, including major 7, major 6, and 6/9 shapes.

These chords are often used as the Imaj7 chord in a ii-V-I progression.

 

 

Dominant 7th Chords

Next, you’ll practice dominant jazz chords, focusing on 7, 9, and 13 shapes.

You might already know some of these shapes from playing blues guitar.

These chords are used in jazz blues progressions and as the V7 chord in ii-V-I progressions.

 

 

Minor 7th Chords

This section introduces minor jazz chords, including m7, m6, m9, and m11 shapes.

These chords are commonly used as the ii chord in ii-VI progressions, and as the i chord in minor ii-V-I progressions.

 

 

Minor 7b5 Chords (aka Half-Diminished Chords)

The next group covers minor 7♭5 chords, also known as half-diminished chords and written as m7♭5.

Each string set has one main shape, so you just need to learn three voicings.

These chords are used as the ii chord in minor ii–V-i progressions.

 

 

Diminished 7th Chords

Diminished chords are often used as passing chords, like in the progression Imaj7 → ♯Idim7 → iim7 (see exercise 8).

 

 

Altered Chords

The last group you’ll learn about are altered chords, often written as 7alt on lead sheets.

These chords include notes like b9, #9, b5, or b13 (#5), or any mix of these.

For now, you’ll use just one altered note per chord to keep things simple. Later, you might want to try voicings with two or more altered notes.

 

 

Applied Chord Exercises

The next set of exercises builds on what you’ve already learned and adds chords with tensions.

You’ll move passed the basic shapes and start working with richer, more colorful chord sounds.

 

Exercise 6 – Modal Interchange Ballad

In this exercise, you will play a ballad-style chord progression that uses modal interchange.

Modal interchange is when you borrow chords from other scales that share the same root note.

This exercise is in the D major key, but you will also hear chords taken from D natural minor and D Phrygian.

The progression starts with Dmaj7 (the Imaj7) and then introduces a beautiful IVm sound with Gm6/9 (bars 2, 4, 8, 14).

In a major key, the IV chord is normally major (Gmaj7 in D major). When this chord is changed to minor (Gm), it’s called a IVm chord. This is a very common sound in jazz and other styles.

You can hear the IVm chord in standards like All of Me, It Could Happen to You, and There Will Never Be Another You. It also shows up in pop songs like Creep (Radiohead) and Blackbird (The Beatles). This chord gives the progression a more interesting and slightly darker sound.

Near the end, you will play a classic ending: ♭VI to ♭II to I (bars 11-12)

Bbmaj7 → Ebmaj7 → Dmaj7

The IVm and ♭VIm chords are taken from the natural minor scale, which is D minor here. The ♭IIm chord comes from the Phrygian mode.

Look at the table below to compare the chords in D major, D natural minor, and D Phrygian. The three borrowed chords used in our example are blue.

 

D major	Dmaj7	Em7	F#m7	Gmaj7	A7	Bm7	C#m7b5
D minor	Dm7	Em7b5	Fmaj7	Gm7	Am7	Bbmaj7	C7
D Phrygian	Dm7	Ebmaj7	F7	Gm7	Am7b5	Bbmaj7	Cm7

 

 

Drum Track (70 BPM)

Listen & Play-Along

 

 

Chord Exercise 7 – Kenny Burrell Minor Chord Vamp

This vamp, inspired by Kenny Burrell’s Midnight Blue, gives you a fun way to practice minor and major 7 chords in a musical context.

You’ll also pick up three new chords that show up a lot in jazz and blues.

The first one is F7 (bar 17), which is an F dominant 7th chord with the 9 added as extension.

 

 

The next two voicings are E7#9 (the Jimi Hendrix chord) and E7b9. These are often played one after the other (bars 19-20).

 

 

 

Drum Backing Track

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Chord Exercise 8 – Diminished Passing Chords

This chord progression exercise introduces a common diminished shape that connects the main chords of the progression.

Even though this voicing does not have a b5, it still functions as a diminished chord and sounds like one in this context.

Here is how the voicing looks with G# as the root:

 

 

 

Drum Backing Track

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Chord Exercise 9 – Satin Doll (Extended Chords)

In this exercise, you’ll revisit Satin Doll (see Exercise 3), this time using extended chord voicings and a more active rhythm, played with a backing track.

The dominant chords are expanded with 9, 13, and ♭13 tensions, replacing the basic 7th chords. This gives the progression a richer, more bluesy sound.

 

Backing Track

Listen & Play-Along

 

 

Chord Exercise 10 – Blues for Alice

In this exercise, you’ll play the chords of Blues for Alice (Charlie Parker) along with a backing track.

This tune is a Bird blues, which is a version of the blues form with more chord changes. Rather than starting with the usual dominant chord in bar 1 (F7), it begins with Fmaj7 and uses lots of ii–V progressions.

In the first chorus, the chords include the root.

In the second chorus, the same progression is played with rootless voicings.

Rootless chords are widely used in jazz because they leave space for the bass player and allow for smoother voice leading between chords.

This last exercise is more complex compared to the previous exercise, so take your time and start slow.

 

Backing Track

Listen & Play-Along

 

 

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