Chords

[Masao]

James55, i play the chords you asked about as follows (EADGBE; x=mute, number=fret, 0=open):

F/C = x33211

F/A = x03211 or 103211

C/E = 032010 (C=332010 or x32010)

F/G = 3x3211

Am2/G = 302200

Am/F# = 202210

I cheat all the time by sometimes playing the lower (/x) note and sometimes not (let bass take it). I use barre, non-barre, and my (gasp) thumb. Like others have said, it really depends on context ... do you have a bass player, what chords before/after, strum/fingerpick, passing chord/main chord, etc. Just my 2 cents in how i do it ... probably wrong.

Ken

[EverythingMusic]

Originally Posted by CantPlayaLick

I just started Guitar lessons and I asked this exact question of the Instructor. He told me to play the chord only and that the Bass player palys the other half.

(My Instructor is also my Praise Team music director so we're practicing Praise Team music in m lessons.)

Bill

While this is true, you don't always have a bass player. My brother and I often play a strictly acoustic set and really even if you are just practicing for yourself, add the bass note. There is a song I like to play for kicks that has a lot of D/F# -> D/G and it just doesn’t sound right with just a D.

It may be easier for now just to play the chord and leave off the emphasized bass note, but sooner or later you will want to learn to add them.

[mmmaak]

Originally Posted by james55

There are a number of guitar chords I don't know, but are the following actual chords or would I just play the chord in front of the slash:

F/C

F/A

C/E

F/G

Am2/G

Am/F#

Thanks!

Not sure what an Am2 is. I'm wondering if that's supposed to be just a regular Am/G? Might make more sense in the context. If so, your chords are:

x33211
x03211
032010
3x3211
3x2210
2x2210

(lots of other ways to play them, of course)

[mud4feet]

All those "slash" chords always throw me. You'll see tons of them in sheet music written for piano (as has been previously mentioned). I usually just let my ear be the judge. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes I come up with something that sounds "better?".

[Herb Hunter]

How does the plus sign added to the end of a chord name change the chord?

Example: A7+

I've also seen the degree sign after a chord name and have no idea what it means.
....................o
Example: G

[Gazzamundo]

Originally Posted by shawlie

The thing about notation, it seems to me, is with these kinds of chords, it makes more sense to use the "slash" notation. Because it's about the bass note. A thing like "D, D/C#, D/C, D/B" could of course be written "D, Dmaj7, D7, D6", but to put those notes anywhere but the bass might not be the sound intended.

To me, it means "it really is just a D chord, but with the bass doing something else". To play an open D, followed by a Dmaj7 on the fifth fret, followed by a D7 on the 10th fret, etc. - not sure if that would be what the writer wanted.

Just my thought on the notation, if you have a bass player, let him play the notes. But you'll probably end up using at least a few slash chords eventually (if you play by yourself, or you'll discover them yourself after a while probably). They're fun and really add to things. Extra non-chord notes on the high strings people do all the time, it works just as nice on the low strings.

Totally agree with Shawlie on this. I see this short-hand type notation all the time in guitar tab - I find it odd that Howard doesn't recognise this type of notation, presumably he either doesn't frequent the tab sites that I do (ultimate-guitar.com and the like), or isn't interested in the type of pop/rock/folk stuff that I'm into.

Yes, playing a D chord with an F# bass probably does boil down to some other chord in music theory, but in guitar tab notation, it's just the "notator" telling me that they hear what sounds like a D chord, but with an F# (where the bass player's not just playing root notes). Which tells me "hey, you can sing the melody over a plain old D and it'll sound fine, but it'll add more interest to what you're playing if you play it with an F# on the E string".

You may have gathered I don't know much (any?) music theory: if I came across "F#m7b5" I wouldn't have a clue what to play, if I see Am/F# I'd know exactly what to do.

[Gazzamundo]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

How does the plus sign added to the end of a chord name change the chord?

Example: A7+

I've also seen the degree sign after a chord name and have no idea what it means.
....................o
Example: G

I think the plus signifies "augmented" and the degree indicates "diminished". Though as I said in my previous post, I've got no music theory whatsoever, so avoid augmented and diminished chords wherever possible! Also, I play a right-handed strung guitar left-handed, so I probably couldn't reach to "augment" in any case!

[Masao]

Originally Posted by Herb Hunter

How does the plus sign added to the end of a chord name change the chord?

Example: A7+

I've also seen the degree sign after a chord name and have no idea what it means.
....................o
Example: G

Herb, the + is augmented fifth or half step up on the fifth note of the chord. So A7+ would consists of the notes A C# F and G. I think one way to play A7+ is x03223. The degree sign is diminished 5th or half step down on the fifth note. So i think one way to play Gdim is xx3434 (actually this is called Gdim7).

Now if you had asked me a few years ago what a '-' or a triangle meant then i would have been stumped. Someone told me the minus was 'minor' and the triangle was 'maj7'.

Then again since i am not a music major i may have this all wrong

Ken

[EVANSSS]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Those chords are not in standard notation. For example, that Am2/G should be called an Am9/G. The Am/F# has the 6th in it, so it would be better named Am6/F#, which would probably be even better named an F#m7b5 or F# half dim, avoiding the slash chord name. Where are you getting those chord names from?

I also think that F#m7b5 makes more sense and is easier to understand? However if the composer specifically wants the F# on the bottom then I suppose Am/F# will be alright, because whenever i see a #m7b5 i always want to put it into an open/ drop 2 voicing and if its not in root position the F# won't be at he bottom of the chord!!!

[Herb Hunter]

Gazzamundo and Masao, thanks for your responses to my question.