Each sonority is indicated by a set of numbers.
     They represent the distances in semi-tones between the notes of the chord.
     The largest number, aways placed in parentheses at the end,
          is not really required because the sum of the numbers is always 12.
For the more complex cases, precise examples have been suggested
     naming the notes in ascending order (B-C-D-F).
After each possibility, we have added possibilities inchord symbols(if there are any)
     and where to find the most basic case of each.

There are 2 lists,
     - the first by sonority type, in order of increasing complexity
          (and discordance, clusters at the end),
     - the second by numerical order.
In each list, tetrads are first, followed by triads,

Like the Definitions page, we will be constantly refining and completing this page.

1. By Sonority Type

4-Note Sonorities

Chordal Diatonic Tetrads
3-3-2 (4) = 7 - the DOMINANT inDiatonic Major
               = m-6-5 - the BUCKLE chord inDiatonic Minor
               = +6 - the Blues chord inDiatonic Major
2-3-3 (4) = m6 - the DOMINANT inDiatonic Minor
               = m7-5 - the BUCKLE chord inDiatonic Major
3-2-3 (4) = 6 - the COUNTER inDiatonic Major
               = m7 - the ANTEs inDiatonic Major
1-4-3 (4) = 3-4-1 (4) = +7 - the descending TONIC inDiatonic Major
               = m-6 - the ascending TONIC inDiatonic Minor

Non-Chordal Diatonic Tetrads
     For this section, seeNon-chordal Tones
1-2-3 (6) = B-C-D-F, s6 on Dm7
3-2-1 (6) = B-D-E-F, p7 on G6
2-2-3 (5) = C-D-E-G, s-6 on Em7
2-3-2 (5) = C-D-F-G, s4 on G7
3-2-2 (5) = A-C-D-E, p+7 on F6
1-2-4 (5) = E-F-G-B, s6 on G7
1-4-2 (5) = E-F-A-B, s2 on Dm6
2-1-4 (5) = A-B-C-E, s6 on C+7
2-4-1 (5) = F-G-B-C, s4 on C+7
4-1-2 (5) = G-B-C-D, p2 on C+7
4-2-1 (5) = F-A-B-C, p7 on Dm6

Chordal Chromatic Tetrads
3-3-3 (3) = m-5-7, seeDiminished Sevenths
2-4-2 (4) = 7-5, seeChromaticism/Diminution

Non-Chordal Chromatic
2-2-4 = 4-2-2 (4) = Eb-F-G-B, s-6 on G7, seeTemporaryNon-chordal Tones
1-3-4 = 4-1-3 (4) = B-C-Eb-G, s+7 on Cm6, seeTemporaryNon-chordal Tones
3-1-4 = 4-3-1 (4) = A-C-C#-F, p+7 on Dm7, seeInferiorNon-chordal Tones
2-3-1 (6) = C-D-F-F#, p+7s4 on G7, seeInferiorNon-chordal Tones
1-3-2 (6) = Bb-B-D-E, s-6p2 on Dm6, the inversion of the preceding example
2-1-3 (6) = A-B-C-D# , s6p+2 on C+7, seeInferiorNon-chordal Tones
3-1-2 (6) = Db-E-F-G, p7s-4on Am-6, the inversion of the preceding example
1-3-3 (7) = G-Ab-B-D, s-2s1 on G7
3-3-1 (7) = C-Eb-F#-G, p+4p5 on Cm6
     For the preceding 2 examples, see a realRavel sound
1-3-1 (7) = Bb-B-D-D#, 5+5ss-3 on G7 with 2 diminished octaves
1-4-1 (6) = C-C#-F-F#, 7p+7s4p+4 on G7 with 2 diminished octaves
1-5-1 (5) = A-A#-Eb-E, s2p+2s-6p6 on G7with 2 diminished octaves
     For the preceding 3 examples, seeDiminished Octaves
3-1-3 (7) = Eb-Gb-G-Bb, s7 on Cm(6) withOrbit 4and Orbit 0, without Orbit 1
3-1-1 (7) = Eb-Gb-G-G#, s-1s-6 on G(7) withOrbit 4and Orbit 0, without Orbit 2
1-1-3 (7) = Gb-G-G#-B, p+5p+7 on Cm(6), the inversion of the preceding example

Diatonic Clusters
     For this section, see theClusterspage
1-2-2 (7) = E-F-G-A, s6p2 on G7
2-1-2 (7) = A-B-C-D, s6p2 on C+7
2-2-1 (7) = C-D-E-F, s-6p-2 on Em7
2-2-2 (6) = F-G-A-B, s-6p2 on Am7

Chromatic Clusters
     This whole section usesOrbit 4with Orbit 0 and Orbit 3
          Orbit 1 is usually left out.
1-1-2 (8) = F-Gb-G-A, s4 on Cm6 without Orbit 1
2-1-1 (8) = F-G-G#-A, p2 on G7 without Orbit 1, the inversion of the preceding example
1-2-1 (8) = E-F-G-G#, s6 on G7 without Orbit 1
1-1-1 (9) = F-Gb-G-G#, s4p+5 on Cm6 without Orbit 1
1-1-4 (6) = F-Gb-G-B, s4s+7 on Cm6 without Orbit 1
4-1-1 (6) = Eb-G-G#-A, p2p-6 on G7 without Orbit 1, the inversion of the preceding example
1-1-5 = 5-1-1 (5) = F-Gb-G-C, s4 on Cm6 without Orbit 3

3-Note Sonorities

Chordal Diatonic Triads
3-3 (6) = diminished, m-5
3-4 (5) = minor, m
4-3 (5) = major

Chordal ChromaticTriads
4-4 (4) = Augmented +5, see theAugmented Triad

Non-Chordal Diatonic Triads
     This section uses atemporaryNon-chordal Tone.
1-5 (6) = B-C-F, s+4 on F,
5-1 (6) = B-E-F, s4 on Bm-5
2-5 = 5-2 (5) = C-D-G, s4 on C

Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
     This section uses asubstitution, no Orbit 1.
2-3 (7) = D-E-G, incomplete Em7, no Orbit 1
3-2 (7) = A-C-D, incomplete F6, inversion of the preceding example
1-4 (7) = B-C-E, incomplete C+7
4-1 (7) = C-E-F, incomplete Am-6, inversion of the preceding example
2-4 (6) = F-G-B, incomplete G7
4-2 (6) = F-A-B,incomplete Dm6, inversion of the preceding example

Non-Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
     This section uses a combination ofsubstitutionof Orbit 1, and atemporaryNon-chordal Tone.
1-2 (9) = B-C-D, s+4 on F6
2-1 (9) = D-E-F, p-2 on Em7, inversion of the preceding example
2-2 (8) = C-D-E, p2 on D(m)7

Non-Chordal Chromatic Incomplete Tetrads
     This section uses a combination ofsubstitutionof Orbit 0, atemporaryNon-chordal Tone, andDominantization.
1-3 (8) = B-C-Eb, s+7 on Cm6
3-1 (8) = B-D-Eb, p-6 on G7, inversion of the preceding example

Chromatic Clusters
     A combination ofsubstitutionof Orbit 0,Augmentation, andDiminution.
1-1 (10) = Db-D-D#, 5-5#5 on G7 (or Dm6)

2. By Numerical Order

4-Note Sonorities

1-1-1 (9) Chromatic Clusters
1-1-2 (8) Chromatic Clusters
1-1-3 (7) Non-Chordal Chromatic
1-1-4 (6) Chromatic Clusters
1-1-5 (5) Chromatic Clusters
1-2-1 (8) Chromatic Clusters
1-2-2 (7) Diatonic Cluster
1-2-3 (6) Non-Chordal Diatonic
1-2-4 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
1-3-1 (7) Non-Chordal Chromatic
1-3-2 (6) Non-Chordal Chromatic
1-3-3 (5) Non-Chordal Chromatic
1-3-4 (4) Non-Chordal Chromatic
1-4-1 (6) Non-Chordal Chromatic
1-4-2 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
1-4-3 (4) Chordal Diatonic
1-5-1 (5) Non-Chordal Chromatic
2-1-1 (8) Chromatic Clusters
2-1-2 (7) Diatonic Cluster
2-1-3 (6) Non-Chordal Chromatic
2-1-4 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
2-2-1 (7) Diatonic Cluster
2-2-2 (6) Diatonic Cluster
2-2-3 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
2-2-4 (4) Non-Chordal Chromatic
2-3-1 (6) Non-Chordal Chromatic
2-3-2 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
2-3-3 (4) Chordal Diatonic
2-4-1 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
2-4-2 (4) Chordal/Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-1-1 (7) Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-1-2 (6) Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-1-3 (5) Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-1-4 (4) Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-2-1 (6) Non-Chordal Diatonic
3-2-2 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
3-2-3 (4) Chordal Diatonic
3-3-1 (5) Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-3-2 (4) Chordal Diatonic
3-3-3 (3) Chordal/Non-Chordal Chromatic
3-4-1 (4) Chordal Diatonic
4-1-1 (6) Chromatic Clusters
4-1-2 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
4-1-3 (4)
4-2-1 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic
4-3-1 (4)

3-Note Sonorities

1-1 (10) Chromatic Clusters
1-2 (9) Non-Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
1-3 (8) Non-Chordal Chromatic Incomplete Tetrads
1-4 (7) Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
1-5 (6) Non-Chordal Diatonic Triads
2-1 (9) Non-Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
2-2 (8) Non-Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
2-3 (7) Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
2-4 (6) Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
2-5 (5) Non-Chordal Diatonic Triads
3-1 (8) Non-Chordal Chromatic Incomplete Tetrads
3-2 (7) Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
3-3 (6) Chordal Diatonic Triads
3-4 (5) Chordal Diatonic Triads
4-1 (7) Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
4-2 (6) Chordal Diatonic Incomplete Tetrads
4-3 (5) Chordal Diatonic Triads
4-4 (4) Chordal ChromaticTriads
5-1 (6) Non-Chordal Diatonic Triads

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