Chord naming conventions?

[Mobile Sprout]

So I was goofing around with some totally random chords the other day and I wondered what the most effective way of naming them is within a chord progression.

Do I..

A) name them by calling their lowest note the root note of the chord?

B) name them as an inversion of some other chord, such as to minimize the number of tensions/notation?

C) name them based on some judgement about the key of the progression?

Like this chord (on guitar):

e: 0
B: 0
G: 8
D: 6
A: 4
E: X

Is that a C#m7add9?

[Richard Lindsey]

You could call it a C#m9, albeit with an idiosyncratically guitaristic voicing.

If you use Occam's razor and common sense, you can usually come up with a name that makes a kind of sense, at least.

[JTE]

Well, spell out the names and no, you don't need to have the root in the bass, but quite often you do have to look at the context of a chord with other chords. When is C E G A an Amin7 and when is it C6? I'd say it's generally C6 and functioning as I if it's after Dmin7 and G9. But if it's after Gmaj7 and right before D7, I'm thinking it's more clearly an Amin7 and functionng as the ii7. That's a problem with grabbing guitar voicings out fo the blue and trying to determine the chord name sometimes.

That chord has (bass to treble) C#, G#, Eb (D#), B, E.

Having no context, and with the C# and G# on the bottom in that order gives us a solid root and fifth for a C#. The open E would be the b3 of those two, and the open B gives you a b7. So those four plainly spell out C#min7 (1, b3, 5 b7). The Eb/D# then looks like the proper name is D#, the 9th of the C# scale. That's where Rich got C#min9. It's not an "add 9" because it has the 7th. "Add 9" is when you put a 9th in without the 7. C E G D would be a C add 9, but C E G Bb D is a straight C9.

Lottsa this chord naming convention gets murky at points, but if you start with looking for logical roots, fifths, and thirds and, as Rich says, apply Ocam's Razor (go look up what you should have learned in 6th grade science classes) you can get most chords.

John

[Mobile Sprout]

Thanks for the suggestions. I was just noticing that moving that 1-5-9 shape all over the fingerboard produces some interesting sounds depending on what other notes I use on the remaining strings.

[MarkTAW]

Originally Posted by Mobile Sprout

So I was goofing around with some totally random chords the other day and I wondered what the most effective way of naming them is within a chord progression.

Do I..

A) name them by calling their lowest note the root note of the chord?

B) name them as an inversion of some other chord, such as to minimize the number of tensions/notation?

C) name them based on some judgement about the key of the progression?

Like this chord (on guitar):

e: 0
B: 0
G: 8
D: 6
A: 4
E: X

Is that a C#m7add9?

Option C (based on the key) is a good starting point. Then do what JTE says - look for fifths, then thirds.

You've got...

C#, G#/Ab, D#/Eb, B, E

So what are the 5ths.

E & B
C# & G#
G# & D#

Great. So what's a good 3rd to one of those roots.
C#, E, G# (C# minor)
G#, B, D# (G# minor)
E, G#, B (E major)

Well that's no help they all form triads. What does throwing in each of the additional tones do to those triads?

C#, E, G# (C# minor) + B(7), + D# (9) = C#m79
G#, B, D# (G# minor) + C# (4) + E(6) = a big fat mess
E, G#, B (E major) + C# (6) + D# (Maj7) = another big fat mess

The 7 and 9 makes for a nice set of stacked thirds (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), and the C# at the bottom make it a good root anyway so my vote is C#m79.

So now what do we do with this chord?

I'd say it's a ii chord in B playing a subdominant role. From here you can either go to Bmaj7 for a "smooth jazz go nowhere" feel or F#7 to Bmaj7 for a good ii, V, I chord progression, or various substitutions thereof.

You can add a ninth to any of the chord I just mentioned.