lib-notation

Music Notation Index

Intervals

Please note: there are many ways to write intervals. The following format was chosen based on space considerations.

Within octave

Sign	Description	Tones	Semi-tones
P1	Unison	0	0
m2	Minor 2nd	0.5	1
M2	Major 2nd	1	2
m3	Minor 3rd	1.5	3
M3	Major 3rd	2	4
P4	Perfect 4th	2.5	5
d5	Dim 5th	3	6
P5	Perfect 5th	3.5	7
m6	Minor 6th	4	8
M6	Major 6th	4.5	9
m7	Minor 7th	5	10
M7	Major 7th	5.5	11
P8	Octave	6	12

Larger than octave

Sign	Description	Tones	Semi-tones
m9	Minor 9th	6.5	13
M9	Major 9th	7	14
m10	Minor 10th	7.5	15
M10	Major 10th	8	16
P11	Perfect 11th	8.5	17
d12	Dim 12th	9	18
P12	Perfect 12th	9.5	19
m13	Minor 13th	10	20
M13	Major 13th	10.5	21
m14	Minor 14th	11	22
M14	Major 14th	11.5	23

Chords

Please note: there are many ways to write chords. The following format was chosen based on space and clarity considerations.

Triads

Symbol	Description	Sign
Maj	Major	C
min	Minor	Cm
dim	Diminished	Co
Aug	Augmented	C+
sus2	Suspended 2nd	Csus2
Sus4	Suspended 4th	Csus4
♭5	Flat 5	C(♭5)

4-notes

Symbol	Description	Sign
7	7th	C⁷
min7	Minor 7th	Cm⁷
Half-dim7	Half diminished 7th	Cø⁷
dim7	Diminished 7th	Co⁷
Aug7	Augmented 7th	C+⁷
7(♭5)	Dominant 7th, flat 5	C⁷(♭5)
7(sus2)	Dominant 7th, suspended 2nd	C⁷sus2
7(sus4)	Dominant 7th, suspended 4th	C⁷sus4
△7	Major 7th	C^△7
min△7	Minor, major 7th	Cm^△7
Aug△7	Augmented, major 7th	C+^△7
△7(♭5)	Major 7th, flat five	C^△7(♭5)
△7(sus2)	Major 7th, suspended 2nd	C^△7sus2
△7(sus4)	Major 7th, suspended 4th	C^△7sus4
6	6th	C⁶
min6	Minor 6th	Cm⁶
Add9	Add 9th	C^add9
min-add9	Minor, add 9th	Cm^add9
Add11	Add 11th	C^add11
Add#11	Add sharp 11th	C^add♯11
min-add11	Minor, add 11th	Cm^add11
Add9(♭5)	Add 9th, flat 5	C^add9(♭5)
Add9(sus4)	Add 9th, suspended 4th	C^add9sus4
Aug(add9)	Augmented, add 9th	C+^add9

5-notes

Symbol	Description	Sign
7(9)	Dominant 7th, 9th	C⁷⁽⁹⁾
min7(9)	Minor 7th, 9th	Cm⁷⁽⁹⁾
7(#11)	Dominant 7th, sharp 11th	C^7(#11)
min7(11)	Minor 7th, 11th	Cm⁷⁽¹¹⁾
7(13)	Dominant 7th, 13th	C⁷⁽¹³⁾
6(9)	Major 6th, 9th	C⁶⁽⁹⁾
△7(9)	Major 7th, 9th	C^△7(9)
min6(9)	Minor 6th, 9th	Cm⁶⁽⁹⁾
△7(13)	Major 7th, 13th	C^△7(13)
△7(9)sus4	Major 7th, 9th, suspended 4th	C^△7(9)sus4
7(♭9)	Dominant 7th, flat 9th	C^7(♭9)
7(♯9)	Dominant 7th, sharp 9th	C^7(♯9)
7(♭13)	Dominant 7th, flat 13th	C^7(♭13)
min△7(9)	Minor, major 7th, 9th	Cm^△7(9)
Dim7(9)	Diminished 7th, 9th	Co⁷⁽⁹⁾
Dim7(♭9)	Diminished 7th, flat 9th	Co^7(♭9)
Aug7(9)	Augmented 7th, 9th	C+⁷⁽⁹⁾
Aug7(♭9)	Augmented 7th, flat 9th	C+^7(♭9)
Aug7(♯9)	Augmented 7th, sharp 9th	C+^7(♯9)
Aug△7(9)	Augmented major 7th, 9th	C+^△7(9)

6-notes

Symbol	Description	Sign
7(9,13)	Dominant 7th, 9th, 13th	C^7(9,13)
7(9,♭13)	Dominant 7th, 9th, flat 13th	C^7(9,♭13)
7(♭9,13)	Dominant 7th, flat 9th, 13th	C^7(♭9,13)
7(♭9,♭13)	Dominant 7th, flat 9th, flat 13th	C^{7(♭9,♭13)}
7(♯9,13)	Dominant 7th, sharp 9th, 13th	C^7(♯9,13)
7(♯9,♭13)	Dominant 7th, sharp 9th, flat 13th	C^{7(♯9,♭13)}
△7(9,13)	Major 7th, 9th, 13th	C^△7(9,13)
min7(9,11)	Minor 7th, 9th, 11th	Cm^7(9,11)
min△7(9,11)	Minor, major 7th, 9th, 11th	Cm^△7(9,11)
min6(9,11)	Minor 6th, 9th, 11th	Cm^6(9,11)

Chord Progressions signs

Please note: all progression signs are relative to the major scale.

Chord	Sign	Examples
Major	(Uppercase roman)	III
Minor	(lowercase roman)	iii
Flat	♭ _ (Prefix)	♭III, ♭iii
Sharp	♯ _ (Prefix)	♯III, ♯iii
Diminished	_ ^o (Postfix)	iii^o
Augmented	_ + (Postfix)	III+
Flat5	_ ^♭5 (Postfix)	III^♭5
Sus2	_ ^sus2 (Postfix)	III^sus2
Sus4	_ ^sus4 (Postfix)	III^sus4

Notation

Accidentals

Name	Sign
Flat
Sharp
Natural
Double flat
Double sharp

Rhythmic notes and rests

Name	Value	Note	Rest
Whole	(1/1)
Half	(1/2)
Quarter	(1/4)
Eighth	(1/8)
Sixteenth	(1/16)
Thirty-second	(1/32)
Sixty-fourth	(1/64)
Quarter Triplets	(3/6)
Eighth Triplets	(3/12)