Interchangeable Chord Options for Colorful Chord Progressions

An interchangeable chord options chart that shows which chords can be swapped while preserving the same harmonic function, helping you create richer, more colorful chord progressions without leaving the key.

Instead of relying on a single go-to chord shape for each scale position, this chart displays groups of compatible chord types available at every position that you can swap in for your usual shapes. It includes triads, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th chords, as well as suspended, added-tone, sixth, diminished and half-diminished chords.

This is an easy way to transform a simple, familiar progression into something more harmonically colorful and expressive.

This chart doesn't cover every possible chord in the Major scale—nor is it trying to. Its goal is to provide practical, interchangeable chord options that remain 100% diatonic without introducing outside notes to your progression.
However, if that's what you're looking for, there's a chart containing all possible diatonic chords.

Instructions on How to Use This Chart

Start with a regular chord progression in any key. For example, a simple I-V-vi-IV progression in the key of C-Major maps to C-G-Am-F. These roman numerals tell you two things at once: the position of the chord in the scale and its quality (Major or Minor). In our case, the chord positions are 1, 5, 6 and 4. Locate them in the Major key row of the chart. Then look down each column to see the other chord options available for the same scale-degree position. Choose an alternative chord that fits the desired sound and swap it in place of the original chord. That's the gist of this chart.

Try different options—such as 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, sus, add9, 6, or 6/9 chords—to hear how each one changes the color of the progression.

Repeat this process for each chord in the progression and compare the original progression with your new variations.

If you're a guitarist looking to play all of these chord types on your instrument, check out my companion guitar chord reference library designed specifically for this.

Don't Miss the Hidden Chord Possibilities Inside This Chart

When playing large extended chords (such as 9ths, 11ths, or 13ths), experiment with voicings that selectively include or omit intermediate extensions or the 5th. For example, dropping the 5th and 9th from a Cm11 chord leaves a clean 1-b3-b7-11 voicing (C-Eb-Bb-F). It's still a C minor 11th chord, but it includes a different set of tones. Not only is this a way to tailor chords to your instrument and keep the sound clean, but it also unlocks a whole new set of usable chord variations.

The takeaway here is that this chart shows you the symbols for complete theoretical chords you can build while staying in key. On the right-hand side there's a legend that shows you how each of the listed chords is constructed. Feel free to omit any color tones that are not of interest to you or that clutter the sound. For example, you can voice a maj9#11 as 1-3-7-#11, or 1-3-5-7-#11, and so on.

Note: Color tones stand in contrast to guide tones. The guide tones are the 3rd and the 7th. Together with the root, they define the chord's core structure and cannot be omitted. Color tones, by contrast, are the optional higher extensions: the 9th, 11th, and 13th. The 5th is not a color tone, but it can also be safely omitted. Note that with "rootless chords" the root isn't actually missing from the harmony—it's simply played by another instrument, like the bass, rather than in your chord voicing.

Things This Chart Allows You To Do

• Transform simple, familiar progressions into something far more harmonically colorful and expressive
• Find interchangeable chord options for every scale position within a key or mode.
• Replace basic triads and 7th chords with richer chord extensions while staying in key.
• Find new harmonic ideas for songwriting and arranging.
• Compare different harmonic colors side by side.
• Use these chord options as arpeggios when soloing over a progression.
• Build and analyze diatonic chord progressions.
• Just stare at it without a rush, and you'll eventually spot a connection that sparks a new idea to try out.

Chart Features With Practical Learning Benefits

• Interchangeable Chords: Each column groups chord options that can be used within the same scale-degree position, making it easy to compare different harmonic colors and discover substitutions without leaving the key.
• Multiple Chord Types: The chart covers triads, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, sus, add9, add11, 6, 6/9, diminished and half-diminished chords options. This gives you a broad palette of diatonic chord colors to experiment with.
• Modal Reference: The bottom section shows where each chord appears in every relative mode of the Major scale, helping you understand how the same chords relate to different tonal centers.
• Color-Coded Chord Categories: Major, minor, dominant, diminished, and suspended chords are visually distinct, allowing you to locate them much faster.
• Chord Formula Legend: A dedicated panel on the right breaks down every chord symbol on the chart into its scale-degree formula, helping you understand chord components and construct proper voicings on your instrument.
• Quick Reference Layout: The entire system fits on a single page, providing an all-in-one map for Major, Minor, and all relative modes.
• Instrument-Neutral Design: Because the information is presented using standard chord symbols rather than instrument-specific diagrams, this chart applies to any instrument and offers equal value to performers, arrangers, and composers alike.
• Self-Contained: The chart stands on its own with clear header and footer details that give you full context, so you always know exactly what you are looking at, even in printed form.
• Covers All 12 Keys: Chords are shown without fixed roots, creating a single, universal and transposable reference that works for any key.

List of Chords Featured in the Chart