The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #16  
Old 04-26-2010, 12:59 PM
Bryan T Bryan T is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,442
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aschlip View Post
Music theory grammar says that F/C would be a second inversion F chord (F chord with C in the bass). F/A would be first inversion. Too nerdy?
Not at all, but sometimes the bass note isn't a part of the triad.

Also, it is often an easier way to communicate a complex chord or identify movement in the bass.

Ex. Am/G is easier to say than"'third inversion of Am7."

or

Ex. Am Am/G Am/F# is easier to say than Am, third inversion of Am7, third inversion of Am6

Sometimes, seeing the bass notes spelled out makes the movement easier to follow.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 04-26-2010, 01:46 PM
philjs philjs is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Halifax, NS, Canada
Posts: 1,970
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aschlip View Post
Music theory grammar says that F/C would be a second inversion F chord (F chord with C in the bass). F/A would be first inversion. Too nerdy?
That's the way I've always referred to them...but I've been called too nerdy more than once.

Phil
__________________
Solo Fingerstyle CDs:
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back (2021)
One Size Does Not Fit All (2018)

I play Crosby, Emerald, Larrivée, Lowden, Rainsong & Tacoma guitars.
Check out my Guitar Website. See guitar photos & info at my Guitars page.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 04-26-2010, 02:02 PM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 25,422
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aschlip View Post
Music theory grammar says that F/C would be a second inversion F chord (F chord with C in the bass). F/A would be first inversion. Too nerdy?
I'd say it's not necessarily correct.

The typical inversion still has all the notes relatively close to each other.

IMO, saying "F over C" (F/C) doesn't imply that the notes are relatively close to each other. In fact, it implies that the C is the bass note, removed from the rest of the chord. In fact, it doesn't imply anything at all about the inversion used for the chord itself . . . only that there's a C in the bass (well removed from the chord structure).
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 04-26-2010, 02:27 PM
OddManOut OddManOut is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Carson City, Nv (Want a jackrabbit? We've got extras!)
Posts: 3,203
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aschlip View Post
Music theory grammar says that F/C would be a second inversion F chord (F chord with C in the bass). F/A would be first inversion. Too nerdy?

I think the classical inversion implies that the notes are stacked in order:

Major Chord: 1-3-5-1...

First Inversion: 3-5-1-3...

Second Inversion: 5-1-3-5...

Is so happens that the garden variety C/G IS the second inversion by this scheme, but the garden variety C/E is not a first inversion.


Things get weird if you whip out, for instance, a E/D. Heck-fire, that D doesn't even belong in there unless the E is the dominant chord.

E/D (bottom-to-top): x-5-6-4-5-4. Totally movable!
__________________
Martin 00-18G; Waterloo WL-S; Furch: V1 OOM-SR, Green G-SR, Blue OM-CM; Tahoe Guitar Co.: OM (Adi/Hog), 000-12 (Carp/FG Mahog), 00-12 (Carp/Sinker Mahog), 00-14 (Adi/Ovangkol);

In the night you hide from the madman
You're longing to be
But it all comes out on the inside
Eventually
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 04-26-2010, 03:27 PM
aschlip aschlip is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Northern Chicago Suburbs, IL
Posts: 217
Default

Classically speaking, a chord inversion does not imply which order the pitches appear after the bass. Therefore, an F major chord in second inversion could be spelled C, A, C, F - doesn't matter as long as C is in the bass.

That said, I would never use the inversion language to describe a chord like F/C to an average (not classically trained) musician. #1 - it takes too long, and #2 - it is indeed inconvenient for a bass note that is out of the chord.

I teach AP music theory...sue me.
__________________
Adam

'10 Bourgeois Custom OMC, '90-ish Lowden F22, '09 Simon & Patrick Folk Cutaway, '09 Recording King RO-06, '10 Paco Marin PM 395
'92 Epiphone Les Paul, '11 Grosh ElectraJet
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 04-26-2010, 05:01 PM
OddManOut OddManOut is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Carson City, Nv (Want a jackrabbit? We've got extras!)
Posts: 3,203
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aschlip View Post

I teach AP music theory...sue me.

My lawyer and yours can do lunch...while we play guitar.
__________________
Martin 00-18G; Waterloo WL-S; Furch: V1 OOM-SR, Green G-SR, Blue OM-CM; Tahoe Guitar Co.: OM (Adi/Hog), 000-12 (Carp/FG Mahog), 00-12 (Carp/Sinker Mahog), 00-14 (Adi/Ovangkol);

In the night you hide from the madman
You're longing to be
But it all comes out on the inside
Eventually
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 04-27-2010, 06:23 AM
Cue Zephyr Cue Zephyr is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,148
Default

Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUfNH2NkulU#t=1m10s
__________________
Musician and producer
Inspirations: Bill Monroe, Brad Paisley, Eric Church, John Mayer, Taylor Swift
YouTube Twitter Instagram
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > PLAY and Write

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=