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The accompanying chart lists the most commonly occurring chords in jazz harmony
along with the scales normally associated with each. The chords are grouped into the four
basic categories of major, minor, dominant, and half diminished. In a pinch, any scale
from any chord in any one of these categories can be used for any other chord in that
category. There is an additional category for miscellaneous chords at the end. There are
many more possible scales and chords. However, these are the most important ones in
traditional jazz harmony.
Chord
Scale
Cmaj7#11
Cm6, Cm
Cm-maj7
Cm7b6
Cm7b9
C phrygian, C phrygian #6
C
C
C
C
C mixolydian
Bb/C, Gm7/C
C7#11, C7
C lydian dominant
C7alt, C7#9#5
C7#9
C HW diminished
C7b9b5, C7b9
C whole tone
Cm7b5
Chord
Scale
Cdim7
C WH diminished
Cphryg
C phrygian, C phrygian #6
C Spanish Phrygian, C in sen
Cmaj7#5
C7susb9
Scales
Major
Harmonic Minor
b3
b6
Melodic Minor
b3
Major Pentatonic
Minor Pentatonic
b3
Mixolydian Pentatonic
b3
Half Diminished
Pentatonic
b3
b5
b7
Blues
b3
b5
Major Bebop
b6
Dominant Bebop
b7
Minor Bebop
b3
b7
Dorian
Phrygian
b2
Lydian
5
4
5
7
7
b7
b7
b3
3
6
5
b3
#4
5
4
b7
6
5
b7
b6
b7
Mixolydian
Aeolian
b3
Locrian (Half
Diminished)
b2
Locrian #2
b2
WH Diminished
HW Diminished
b2
#2
#4
Half Diminished
b2
b3
b5
b6
Whole Tone
Dorian b2
b2
Lydian Augmented
Lydian b7
Mixolydian b6
Double Harmonic
b2
Enigmatic
b2
#4
Neapolitan
b2
b3
Neapolitan Minor
b2
b3
b6
Hungarian Minor
b3
#4
b6
Japanese In Sen
b2
b7
Spanish
b2
b6
b7
Arabian
b5
b6
b7
Persian
b2
b3
b3
b6
b5
b3
b5
b7
b6
b6
#5
b7
bb7
6
b7
b7
#6
b7
#4
#5
#4
b7
b6
b5
#4
b7
b6
b5
b4
b3
b7
5
4
b3
4
3
b7
b6
b7
b6
#5
b5
#6
b6
7
7