Chord Abbreviations Chord abbreviations are a popular form of communication among musicians. Here are a few examples of chord abbreviations and what they mean... Bb = Bb major If you see just a capital letter, it means to play the respective major chord Dbm = Db minor If you see a capital letter followed by a lowercase m, it means to play the respective Minor chord. Abdim = Ab diminished - or - Cº = C diminished If you see a capital letter followed by a lowercase dim or a degreeº signº, it means to play the respective diminished chord. Ebaug = Eb augmented - or - Eb+ = Eb augmented If you see a capital letter followed by a lowercase aug or a plus+ sign+, it means to play the respective augmented chord. There are many more chord abbreviations for many more chords. Learning and memorizing all of them will help you communicate better with other musicians as well as increasing your ability to signt read quicker. If you are new to learning chord abbreviations, or simply wish to further your education on the subject, then pick up a copy of Music Theory For The Modern Rockin' Metalhead in the online store. This book covers them all! You can get a head start by downloading sample chapters here.