Slash chord question

tobie · #1 06-15-2010, 12:02 AM

At church we're using the lyrics-with-chords-above notation. With slash chords (playing one chord over another) the common recommendation from the band leader usually is 'just play the chord after the slash'. Fine - but what if I want to play the first chord over the second?

This is discussed a bit at http://www.activemusician.com/Introd...oloing--t13i91. I have no question there, as for example playing F/Dm7, the F notes (F,A,C) are the b7, b3 and 5 of the Dm7 chord.

Looking at our church chord sheets however, they have for example F/A. The problem is that the F and C notes are not part of the A chord (A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#). What do one do in such event?

PaulNYC · #2 06-15-2010, 12:08 AM

My understanding is that the slash chord means to play the chord befor the slash, but use the note after the slash as the root. so for a D7/A, the money notes are contained in D7, but the root motion of the song would sound great with A.

PaulNYC · #3 06-15-2010, 12:09 AM

see also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_chord

elgecko · #4 06-15-2010, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobie

Fine - but what if I want to play the first chord over the second?

You can, and it'd fit, but it's not what's intended.

For instance, something you'll see a lot is:

C G/B Amin

You could play a G root instead of the B but you'd be missing the "point" of the progression, which is the descending, chromatic thing.

kdel · #5 06-15-2010, 12:30 AM

what Paul said and the wiki link.

perhaps the confusion arose because your director meant for you to play the *note* after the slash but somehow misspoke and implied that it was a chord after the slash instead of the bass note. There are types of music where you get two full chords on top of one another, but 99% of the time you see this it is a single chord voicing, specifying the notes [left of slash] on top of a specific bass note [right of slash]. The example you give F/A might be common for bass motion, like F - F/A - Bb - C, basically telling you to play the second F chord in inversion with the bass playing A instead of F (which leads up to the Bb nicely).

JansenW · #6 06-15-2010, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobie

- but what if I want to play the first chord over the second?

Playing the slashed note is a rare opportunity for you to uniquely define the voicing of the chord (as the songwriter intended) outside of it's normal root.

can you hear me · #7 06-15-2010, 12:46 AM

That's all good advice. Think of it as a slashed note, so after the slash is the note you play to give a particular harmonic motion.

On a side not I have read about polychords, which is actually two chords played simultaneously, but I have never seen one outside of theory books because I usually get simple charts.

MalcolmAmos · #8 06-15-2010, 07:28 AM

The slash C/G -- the slash chord is considered the low and we play low .... so we are responsible for the G, the other guys are responsible for the C.

No one will come on stage and beat you around the head and face if you play the C.

{edit} Memory just clicked in-- with C/G we play the G NOTE. The guitar guys play a C chord with a double G in it, i.e. they finger the 6th string 3rd fret also to get the low G into their chord. C/G = C E G/G. Our job is to accent that low G note - we leave the C chord alone.

TL5 · #9 06-15-2010, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobie

At church we're using the lyrics-with-chords-above notation. With slash chords (playing one chord over another) the common recommendation from the band leader usually is 'just play the chord after the slash'. Fine - but what if I want to play the first chord over the second?

This is discussed a bit at http://www.activemusician.com/Introd...oloing--t13i91. I have no question there, as for example playing F/Dm7, the F notes (F,A,C) are the b7, b3 and 5 of the Dm7 chord.

Looking at our church chord sheets however, they have for example F/A. The problem is that the F and C notes are not part of the A chord (A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#). What do one do in such event?

Maybe, this can explain some of your confusion?
Slash chords are typically written with the chord first and the bass note second. So your 1st example should be Dm7/F in which case the F is the third of the Dm7 chord.

The second example F/A would be a F major chord with the third (A), in the bass.
The bass playing thirds is quite common in a lot of contemporary P&W music.

It appears to me that the problem is either you are reading the slash chords backwards, or they're being written out incorrectly (or both).

chrisbass0013 · #10 06-15-2010, 07:47 AM

as long as you play one of the two you should be able to get by to my understanding you can alwyas see how it sounds before you play it in front of everyone when in doubt trust your ears

slybass3000 · #11 06-15-2010, 07:53 AM

When a slash chord is written, the note after the slash is the bass note.

Now here is the 2 things to remember:

If the bass note is present in the chord, it is an inversion of the chord like C/E is a C chord with the third in the bass. So it is possible by knowing that to play a C in the bass once in a while without affecting the nature of the harmony.

But if the bass note is not in the chord,then it is important to know that the bass note is the root of a slash chord like Bb/C.
By written this notation it means a C dominant chord without the third and fifth but with a b7, a ninth and a sus4 or 11.
So you see now why it is much easier to write a slash chord instead of writing all the stuff I wrote before.

Hope this helps,

Sly

onlyclave · #12 06-15-2010, 08:15 AM

Hmmm, inversions instead of modes? Brilliant!

chump stain · #13 06-15-2010, 08:22 AM

I love slash chords, they give the music a great texture. With a G/B chord, I play the B, and it sounds killer, especially if the next chord is C. It pushes and pulls the harmony of the music.

HeadyVan Halen · #14 06-15-2010, 08:29 AM

Trust your ear..Alot of guys will play it to feel 'complex' or 'different' but if it don't sound good don't play it, if it does play it. It also depends on what chord the keys/guitar are playing over it. Some don't play the exact chord mentioned, which will throw off the slash chord...as pointed out earlier, it depends on where the music is going (next chord(s)).

Feel lucky you guys have charts at church..most of our keys players do this:
"Play this chord"--"Which one?"----"This one"----"ah, thanks for clearing that up."

S. Katz · #15 06-15-2010, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobie

At church we're using the lyrics-with-chords-above notation. With slash chords (playing one chord over another) the common recommendation from the band leader usually is 'just play the chord after the slash'. Fine - but what if I want to play the first chord over the second?

This is discussed a bit at http://www.activemusician.com/Introd...oloing--t13i91. I have no question there, as for example playing F/Dm7, the F notes (F,A,C) are the b7, b3 and 5 of the Dm7 chord.

Looking at our church chord sheets however, they have for example F/A. The problem is that the F and C notes are not part of the A chord (A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#). What do one do in such event?

I think you are looking at slash cords backwards. The note to the right of the slash is in the chord to the left--indicating an inversion of the chord. Take "F/A": F major is F-A-C. "F/A" means that you play the A in the octave below the F and C, so that A becomes the bass note in the voicing. You are still playing F major, but with a different voicing. If you try to play A major (A-Db-E), it won't fit.

"F/Dm7" is NOT a slash chord. Dm7 is not a note in F major. Often, when you are working off of a lyric sheet with chords annotated above the line, chord changes within a single measure are annotated with a slash. In that context, it means that you play the left-hand chord for two beats, and then the right-hand chord for two beats. Thus, "F/Dm7" calls for something like F-A-D-A (root-5 for each chord, quarter notes)--or anything else that sounds good and outlines both chords, half a bar for each.

longfinger · #16 06-15-2010, 10:03 AM

It's hard to show this on this message board, but there two different kinds of "slashes".

1) A diagonal slash like / means the second letter refers to a single NOTE. ie. F/A
2) A horizontal slash like _ means the second letter refers to a CHORD. (can't show this.)

For 1) F/A is the F chord with an A in the bass. All it describing is the inversion of the chord as dictated by the bass note. Played by you. Hence, you play the second letter.

For 2) and F over A, means a poly chord of F on top ( F A C) over an A on bottom (A C# E). This most often done for pianists, who voice one chord with the right hand, and another chord with the left hand. It's a simple way to get someone to easily voice complex chords.

In your other example... F/Dm7 makes little sense to me. It should be Dm7/F (Dm7 with F in bass), or F6/D (F6 chord with D in bass) which of course is most easily written as Dm7.

There are too many common notes for that to be a poly chord so the horizontal slash won't make much sense either.

tjh · #17 06-15-2010, 06:05 PM

FWIW, I often find myself seizing the opportunity to get a bit creative and actually play both notes on occasion, not as double stops, but as a step down/up type of motion, whichever seems to fit better ... a good example of this is the D/F# ... I often play the D on the 1 and then the F# on the way to whatever follows ... it seems to achieve the flavor that the author of the tune is intending, and tends to spice things up a bit creating a little more momentum .. it doesnt always work, just another tool in the bag to try ...

gregmerrill · #18 06-15-2010, 06:43 PM

On that F/A chord you should only be thinking of F major chord tones or non chord tones. You should be thinking anything diatonic to the key of F. If you are going to think of the A chord than you need to think about the mode that's diatonic to F major which in this case would be the A Phrygian Mode. You will not have that problem that you pointed out because the A phrygian mode has the same notes as the F Ionian mode but the notes start on the 3rd scale degree=A. For example you were worried about the C# which is the 3rd scale degree of the A major scale which is not diatonic to the key of F major. Well the phrygian mode has a minor 3rd so that would make the note C natural which is also the 5th of F major. For myself I would only think of it as I am in the key of F Major and I'm on its major 3rd. I would not be thinking of any "A chord". But it's good to be able to do both and especialy understanding your modes and harmony.
In regards to how you perform what you call slash cords transcribe recordings and see what other guys are doing in that situation and experiment yourself as well but keep in mind everyone is counting on you putting special emphasis on the note to the right of the slash.

chump stain · #19 06-15-2010, 06:57 PM

Exactly. I approch it like the note to the right of the slash is the root. If you need to throw any other flavors in there, go for the 3rd and 5th of the note in front of the slash. edit: more chances then not, you will not need to put much more flavor in there, because like gregmerrill said, they're counting on you to play that note.

scotch · #20 06-15-2010, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by longfinger

It's hard to show this on this message board, but there two different kinds of "slashes".

1) A diagonal slash like / means the second letter refers to a single NOTE. ie. F/A
2) A horizontal slash like _ means the second letter refers to a CHORD. (can't show this.)

For 1) F/A is the F chord with an A in the bass. All it describing is the inversion of the chord as dictated by the bass note. Played by you. Hence, you play the second letter.

For 2) and F over A, means a poly chord of F on top ( F A C) over an A on bottom (A C# E). This most often done for pianists, who voice one chord with the right hand, and another chord with the left hand. It's a simple way to get someone to easily voice complex chords.

In your other example... F/Dm7 makes little sense to me. It should be Dm7/F (Dm7 with F in bass), or F6/D (F6 chord with D in bass) which of course is most easily written as Dm7.

There are too many common notes for that to be a poly chord so the horizontal slash won't make much sense either.

+1

Calling simple inversions "slash chords" gets confusing. If you just look at, for example, G/B as "a G chord with a B in the bass"- you're in much better shape! I never even use the "slash chord" term. "Inversion" is a much easier approach. G/B is simply "G with a B in the bass", or "G, 1st inversion".

I doubt you're likely to run into a lot of polychords in your churches repertoire!