Question:
I am reading this lead sheet (a .PDF) to "Thy Mercy, My God", and there are these chords that confuse me. For lack of a better term, I call them "slash" chords, because they are notated like this: G/B or A9/C#. My jazz piano teacher told me that to play those chords (on piano), you play the chord to the left of the slash in your left hand, and the chord to the right of the slash in your right hand. So, how would one play these chords on the guitar?
Thanks,
Answer:
Originally Posted by jengoesup I am reading this lead sheet (a .PDF) to "Thy Mercy, My God", and there are these chords that confuse me. For lack of a better term, I call them "slash" chords, because they are notated like this: G/B or A9/C#. My jazz piano teacher told me that to play those chords (on piano), you play the chord to the left of the slash in your left hand, and the chord to the right of the slash in your right hand. So, how would one play these chords on the guitar?
Thanks,
Generally, the note to the left of the slash is the chord you play, and the note to the right of the slash is the bass note of that chord. Its like taking the standard chord, but making the lowest note different than what is normally played.
You'd normally play a G chord like 320033 (or 320003). If it was a G/B, it would be played x20033 or x20003.
I hope that helps a little. I'd tell you how to play the A9/C#, but I'm not familiar with the A9 chord (or any 9th chords at all, for that matter).
Answer:
The correct slang term for them is "slash chords".
The proper technical name for them is "compound chords".
Regardless, the way they're played is the first character before the slash is the chord voicing and the character after the slash is the bass note so a chord such as G/B would be a G chord with a B note in the bass as opposed to a G note in the bass.
A9/C# would be an A9 chord with a C# in the bass.
The chord voicing is:
A(1st), C#(3rd), E(5th), G(7th), B(9th)
Answer:
Ahh, thanks. Perhaps my piano teacher (or I) mixed up which hand was which.
Answer:
Great information here, Jen. I use these chords quite often in walk downs like D/F# (a D Major chord with an F# bass note with a thumb [2-0-0-2-3-2]) in a walk down from a G Major to an E minor. (D-D/F#-Em) In the key of D the same move would be an A/C# (X-4-2-2-2-0) as in D-A/C#-Bm and in the key of C a G/B (X-2-0-0-0-3) as in C-G/B-Am. These chords, along with the other "flavor" chords like seconds, suspended 4ths, 6ths, 9ths and minor 7ths and minor 6ths can really spice and class up solo guitar work, especially when fingerpicking.
Blessed, in new-found fellowship, Dan
Answer:
Yes, I like these chords as well

One of my favorite progressions is (for a song that the former worship leader at my church wrote):

D-D/C#-GM7/B-D/A-G-D/F#-Em-Asus4-A

(talk about a walking bass line )
Answer:
Originally Posted by guitarman531 Yes, I like these chords as well

One of my favorite progressions is (for a song that the former worship leader at my church wrote):

D-D/C#-GM7/B-D/A-G-D/F#-Em-Asus4-A
(talk about a walking bass line )
That sounds amazing.