Awesome Chords

With Keyboard Illustrations

By Carlton Clark





Copyright 2014 by Carlton Clark. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States
Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by
any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the
author.

TERMS OF USE
This is a copyrighted work and the author reserves all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is
subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the copyright act of 1976 and the right to store and
retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce,
modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense
the work or any part of it without author prior consent. You may use the work for your own
noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited.

www.CarltonKeys.com

How to Use This Book
Awesome Chords was created as a reference book of colorful chords used by keyboard players all over
the world, in various styles of music. These are the chords that add flavor and color to the basic chords
normally found in the original versions of songs. Musicians, especially keyboard players, will add various
substitute chords and progressions to a song to re-harmonize the melody and give the song a unique
twist while, at the same time, preserving the melody. The other element keyboard players use to
achieve these same goals are different chord voicings. A chord voicing is simply the arrangement of
notes in a chord. You will see in Awesome Chords that some chord voicings leave out notes that can
make the chord ambiguous depending on the context it is used in. There are even some rootless chords
in the book that are pretty common among keyboard players and hard to explain if you are not up on
your music theory. Dont worry because what makes Awesome Chords so awesome is, this
information is presented in a format that even the beginner can digest and use to take their chord
vocabulary to another level.
Each chord and chord voicing is given to the user on all twelve keys, in music notation and keyboard
diagrams. When you find a chord you like, learn it and play it in different octaves. I also suggest moving
the chords up and down in half steps. Take care with the rootless chords; for example, if the chord is
labeled as some type of C chord, but there is no C in the chord, remember it will function as a C chord all
the same. I also give you a couple of examples as to how I use some of these chords. Be very
experimental and open minded in your approach and enjoy the different chord flavors presented in
Awesome Chords. These are chords and voicings students dont normally learn how to use until they
reach an advanced level of music theory, but now you have them. Enjoy!
www.CarltonKeys.com
Roll your mouse over each chord to see an illustration of how to play the chord.
www.CarltonKeys.com
&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano

#
b

#
b
b
b

b
b
b

#
#

#
n
#

#
#

#
n

&
?

w
w
w b
w

&
?

#
b
#

#
b

#
#

#
n

#
#

#
n
b
b

b
b
b
&
?
w
w
w b
w b

&
?

AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
13th chord moving down half steps with circle of 4ths/5ths in the left hand
Same sequence with bass note moved down a tritone
&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w b
b
#
w
C7
#
9(
!
13)
w
w
w
w
w #
w
w
w
w b
b
#
b
w
w
w
w
w
w #
w
w
w
w #
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
#
w
w #
&
?
8
w
w
w
b
b
8
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
w #
w
w
w #
b
w
w
b
w
w
w
b
w
w #
w
w
b
w
w
w
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C7#9b13

B7#9b13

Bb7#9b13

A7#9b13

Ab7#9b13

G7#9b13




F#7#9b13

F7#9b13

E7#9b13

Eb7#9b13

D7#9b13

Db7#9b13

&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
w
#

C
6
9(#
:
)
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b

w
w
w
w
w b
w
w
w
w
#
b
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
w b
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
b
#
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
#
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
w b
w
w
w
b
w
w
#
w
w b
w
w
w
b
b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C6/9(#11)

B6/9(#11)

Bb6/9(#11)

A6/9(#11)

Ab6/9(#11)

G6/9(#11)




F#6/9(#11)

F6/9(#11)

E6/9(#11)

Eb6/9(#11)

D6/9(#11)

Db6/9(#11)




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
w
b
b

C13(

9)
w
w
w
w
w
b
b

w
w
w
w b
w b
w
w
w
w
#
b
b
w
w
w
w
w #
w b
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w #
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
w
#
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
w b
w b
w
w
w
w
#
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
w b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C13 (b9)
B13 (b9)
Bb13 (b9)
A13 (b9)
Ab13 (b9)
G13 (b9)
F#13 (b9)
F13 (b9)
E13 (b9)
Eb13 (b9)
D13 (b9)
Db13 (b9)
&
?
4
4
4
4
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
Cmin7(add9)
w
w
w
w
w
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
w b
b
b
w b
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
#
b
b
#
w b
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
w
w #
b
#
w #
&
?
8
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
8
w
w
w
w
w
#
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
#
w
w b
b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
Cmin7 (9)
Bmin7 (9)
Bbmin7 (9)
Amin7 (9)
Abmin7 (9)
Gmin7 (9)
F#min7 (9)

Fmin7 (9)

Emin7 (9)

Ebmin7 (9)

Dmin7 (9)

Dbmin7 (9)




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
w

Cmaj7/B
w
w
w
w
#
b
b
w #
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
b
b
w
w #
w
w
w b
w
w
b
w
w
w
#
w
w #
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
b
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w #
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
#
b
w
w
w #
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
Carlton Clark
Score
AWESOME CHORDS
C Maj7/B

B Maj7/A#

Bb Maj7/A

A Maj7/G#

Ab Maj7/G

G Maj7/F#




F# Maj7/E#

F Maj7/E

E Maj7/D#

Eb Maj7/D

D Maj7/C#

Db Maj7/C




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
w
w

Cmaj7(
9
)
6
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b
#
b

w
w
w
w
w
w b
w
w
w
w
w
#
b
b
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w b
w
w
w
w
w
#
w
w
w
w
w #
#
#
#
w
w
#
#
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
#
b
b
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
b
w
w b
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
#
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
b
b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C Maj7 (6/9)

B Maj7 (6/9)

Bb Maj7 (6/9)

A Maj7 (6/9)

Ab Maj7 (6/9)

G Maj7 (6/9)




F# Maj7 (6/9)

F Maj7 (6/9)

E Maj7 (6/9)

Eb Maj7 (6/9)

D Maj7 (6/9)

Db Maj7 (6/9)




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
b
b
b

7
w
w
w
w

w
w
w
b
b
w b
w
w
w b
w
w
w
w
#
w b
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
w #
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
#
b
w
w b
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C half Dim. 7

B half Dim. 7

Bb half Dim. 7

A half Dim. 7

Ab half Dim. 7

G half Dim. 7




F# half Dim. 7

F half Dim. 7

E half Dim. 7

Eb half Dim. 7

D half Dim. 7

Db half Dim. 7




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
b
b

C7(
!
9
)
w
w
w
w b
#

w
w
w
w
b

w
w
w
w
b
b

w
w
w
w
#
b

w
w
w
w
b

w
w
w
b
w b
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
#
b
w
w
w
w
w b
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
b
w #
w
w
w
b
w
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C7b9

B7b9

Bb7b9

A7b9

Ab7b9

G7b9




F#7b9

F7b9

E7b9

Eb7b9

D7b9

Db7b9




&
?
4
4
4
4
w
w
w
w
b
w
C9(11)
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
#
w
w b
b
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w #
#
&
?
8
w
w b
8
w
w
w
b
w
w
#
w
w
w
w
w b
w
w
w
b
b
b
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
#
b
b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
C9 (11)

B9 (11)

Bb9 (11)

A9 (11)

Ab9 (11)

G9 (11)




F#9 (11)

F9 (11)

E9 (11)

Eb9 (11)

D9 (11)

Db9 (11)




&
?
4
4
4
4
w
w
w
w
w
w
Cmaj7
w
w
w
w
w
#
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
w
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
w #
w
w
w
w
w
w
#
#
#
#
w
w #
#
&
?
8
w
w
w
w
8
w
w
w
w
w
w
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
w
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w b
b
awesome chords
Carlton Clark
Score
C Maj7

B Maj7

Bb Maj7

A Maj7

Ab Maj7

G Maj7




F# Maj7

F Maj7

E Maj7

Eb Maj7

D Maj7

Db Maj7




&
?
4
4
4
4
w
w
w
w
#
b
w
C7(
#
11)
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
w #
w
w b
b
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w #
#
&
?
8
w
w
w b
8
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
w b
w
w b
b
w
w
w
b
#
w
w
w
w
w
w
w b
b
awesome chords
Carlton Clark
Score
C7#11

B7#11

Bb7#11

A7#11

Ab7#11

G7#11




F#7#11

F7#11

E7#11

Eb7#11

D7#11

Db7#11




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
w
#

Cmaj7(add
#
11)
w
w
w
w
#
#
w #
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
#
#
#
w
w #
w
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
#
#
w
w #
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
&
?
Pno.
8
w
w
w
w
w
w #
w
w
w
w
#
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
b
w #
w
w
w
w
#
#
#
w
w
w
w
w
b
awesome chords
Carlton Clark
Score
C Maj7 (#11)

B Maj7 (#11)

Bb Maj7 (#11)

A Maj7 (#11)

Ab Maj7 (#11)

G Maj7 (#11)




F# Maj7 (#11)

F Maj7 (#11)

E Maj7 (#11)

Eb Maj7 (#11)

D Maj7 (#11)

Db Maj7 (#11)




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
w
w
b
b

cmin7(add9)
w
w
w
w
w
#
#

w
w
w
w
w b
b
b

w
w
w
w
w

w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b
b
b

w
w
w
w
w
b

w
w
w
w
w #
#
#

&
?
8
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
8

w
w
w
w
w
#

w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b
b

w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b
b
b

AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
Cmin7/9

Bmin7/9

Bbmin7/9

Amin7/9

Abmin7/9

Gmin7/9




F#min7/9

Fmin7/9

Emin7/9

Ebmin7/9

Dmin7/9

Dbmin7/9




&
?
4
4
4
4
Piano
w
w
w
b
b
b
w
Cm7(
b
5
)
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
b
b
b
w b
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w

b
b
w b
w
w
w
b
b
w
w
w
w
w #
&
?
8
w
w
w
b
b
b
8
w
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w

b
b
w b
w
w
w
b
w
w
w
w

b
b
w b
AWESOME CHORDS
Carlton Clark
Score
Cmin7 b5

Bmin7 b5

Bbmin7 b5

Amin7 b5

Abmin7 b5

Gmin7 b5




F#min7 b5

Fmin7 b5

Emin7 b5

Ebmin7 b5

Dmin7 b5

Dbmin7 b5