Where R=root note and the ascending numbers are semitone intervals. 7th note extensions in parenthesis.
| Chord | Formula | ‘Feel’ |
| Semitone | Root+1 | Suspenseful, threatening |
| 5th | R+7 | Solid, ‘power chord’ |
| Major | R+4+3(+3) | complacent, satisfied, optimistic |
| Minor | R+3+4(+3) | Sad (but not always) |
| 7th | R+4+3+4 | Tough, bluesey jazzy rocky |
| Major 7th | R+4+3+4 | Happy, almost jazzy |
| Minor 7th | R+3+4+3 | Airy, melancholy, ‘Not quite’ sad |
| Min/Maj 7th | R+3+4+4 | Softer still |
| Augmented | R+4+4*(+3) | Blues, country, jazz |
| Diminished | R+3+3*(+3) | Classical, jazz, gospel |
| Sus2 | R+2+5 | ‘Open’ sound , hanging there |
| Sus4 | R+5+2 | As above |
| Major 9th | R+3+3+3+4 | Open, soaring, airy |
| 9th (dom 9th) | R+4+3+3+4 | Open, soaring, airy |
| m9th | R+3+7+10+14 | Tragic, hopeless |
| 6th | R+4+3+2 | Jazzy-bossa playfulness |
| m6 | R+3+7+9 | Suspenseful, mysterious |
To find the desired chord on the keyboard: Place a finger on the root note, count-up the semitones to the next position, place your finger and count-up again for the next position, etc. Example: A Maj7th = R+4-3-4 = A – Csharp – E – Gsharp.
To find the first inversion of any chord, take your finger off the root and place it on the note one octave above (in our example, still an A, just an octave higher).
To find the second inversion, move your lowest finger up to the next available note in the chord.
This way you can cycle up and down the keyboard, in the process using the same notes – = A – Csharp – E – Gsharp in different order.