Slash chords что такое
Слэш-аккорды
Слэш-аккорды
Это будет небольшой раздел школы, но он логично подкрепляет то, что вы прочитали ранее. Теншионс и надстройки – это действительно красочные характеристика джазовой гармонии, насыщенное подлинно джазовое современное звучание, достигается именно благодаря им.
Да, конечно, потребуется не мало времени чтобы вы смогли овладеть тем большим количеством вариантов надстроек, на практике не все будут звучать удачно и многие из них вообще дело вкуса. Но некоторые важные принципы их использования будут раскрыты в течении школы. Наберитесь терпения.
Слэш-аккорды – это просто альтернативный способ записи некоторых аккордов. У них есть преимущество – они достаточно быстро читаются с листа, но есть и недостаток – понимать какие альтерации в аккорде присутствуют придется вам самостоятельно. Эти аккорды записываются через наклонный слэш (C/B), где слева буква обозначает аккорд, а буква справа – басовая нота.
Это имеет смысл т.к. все аккорды в джазовой музыке фундаментально строятся от баса и обращения трезвучий и септаккордов используются значительно реже. Поэтому в такой записи с одной стороны мы можем записать сложный по структуре аккорд, с другой стороны, указать обращение. Это важно понимать, потому что справа от слэша стоит именно басовая нота, которая не всегда будет тоникой аккорда!
Заметьте, как символ наклонного слэша отличается от горизонтальной черты в полиаккордах в предыдущей главе. Там мы имели дело с полиаккордами — двумя независимыми аккордами.
Рассмотрим несколько примеров. Сверху обозначения слэш-аккордов, снизу расшифровка в обычной записи с альтерациями:
Конечно, на первый взгляд всё это выглядит немного ужасно. Но в этом то и смысл, с помощью слэш-аккордов можно очень просто записать очень сложные аккордовые структуры и читать их будет значительно легче.
Посмотрите, например, на первый такт. Fma7 просто играется поверх одной басовой ноты Соль и мы уже получаем целый набор расширений аккорда, да еще и с задержанием G13sus4. Постарайтесь проанализировать каждый аккорд из примера и понаблюдайте, сможете ли вы идентифицировать ступени по отношению к басу.
Также, вы обнаружите, что в некоторых аккордах отсутствуют звуки. Так, в четвертом такте, Fma7#5/G не содержит терцию аккорда – Си, но это не должно пугать, такое иногда случается. Чаще всего, конечно, выпускается квинтовый тон аккорда, но иногда могут упускаться и другие звуки, и это в определенной степени может вводить в недопонимание начинающих изучать джазовую гармонию. Посмотрите на это как на безупречную логику слэш-аккордов: в верхней части мы имеем законченный септаккорд, как самостоятельную аккордовую единицу над басом и в этом достаточность и красота.
Также обратите внимание на аккорд под «*». Это отличный пример того, как можно записать сложную аккордовую структуру, которую не получится отразить обычной записью аккорда.
Под «**» показан пример обращения трезвучия. Обратите внимание, что обозначения аккордовых тонов идут нет от баса. Это как раз тот случай, когда вам самостоятельно придется догадываться с каким аккордом вы имеете дело.
Я искренне понимаю, что это достаточно сложная тема для начала школы, но от вас не требуется изучить все надстройки и слэш-аккорды с самого начала. Всему свое время. Главное пока поймите принцип и анализируйте все примеры далее, тем более дальше мы познакомимся с тем как именно можно расширять аккорды.
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Introduction to Slash Chords for Guitar
When we first learn guitar, we usually focus on learning basic open-position chords. These are sometimes called “cowboy chords”.
But on music containing guitar chord names and chord symbols, we may see guitar chord names containing a slash. We may see chords such as G/B, or D/F#. What does this mean?
And when we’re figuring out the chords in a piece we’re playing, we may find chords that are similar to chords we know, but are different in some way. What should we call them, and how should we write them?
This brings us to….. Slash Chords.
Note: This article is slightly advanced. If you’re just getting started with chords, click here to get started.
What is a Slash Chord and What Does the Slash Mean?
A “slash chord” is a guitar chord written with two letters separated by a forward slash. (They have nothing to do with the guitarist, Slash.) Examples include C/G, Am/C, or D7/C.
The first letter is the actual guitar chord name, which can be a major chord or minor chord. In the above examples, these would be C major, A minor, and D7.
The second letter, after the slash notation, is the note to be played in the bass. In the above examples, G, C, and C.
If we were a full band or orchestra, different players would play the chord and the bass. But as solo guitarists, we have to cover all the bases. So we alter our usual guitar chord shapes to allow for the alternate bass note.
How to Say the Slash Chord Names
When we see a slash chord, we first say the chord name, then “with __ in the bass”. Or, “ _ over _”
For example, G/F would be pronounced either:
“G Major Chord with F in the bass”
or
“G over F”
When in Doubt, Play the First Chord
If we’re playing (or strumming) chord charts at sight (aka “sight-reading”), we may not have time to figure out the fingering of a slash chord.
When in doubt, we can almost always play the first guitar chord and be safe. It won’t sound as “right” as the full slash chord, but will be the right notes.
Jargon Alert: Inversions
“Chord Inversion” is the classical musical term for a chord with a non-root note as the lowest note in the chord.
This C chord has been rearranged to put each chord tone in the bass.
Specific uses of chord inversions also have their own names and titles. And in classical musical analysis (Music Theory), chord inversions are written not as slash chords, but by the inversion name followed by a couple of numbers (which is beyond the scope of this article).
But unless we’re studying formal classical musical analysis, it suffices to call them “slash chords” and recognize what they are: chords with a different bass note.
Why Use Slash Chords
Slash chords are often used for a variety of reasons. The most common reasons are…
Stepwise Bass Lines
Slash chords allow us (or composers) to form bass lines that move note by note, instead of jumping around.
This can make the music sound more like two individual instruments playing a duet, instead of a melody with a bass line. The musical term for this is “polyphony”.
In his Etude #1, Villa-Lobos uses slash chords (aka. inversions) to move the bass note one fret at a time.
These bass-lines can create forward movement and propel the music forward. They can “lead” the ear toward an upcoming arrival point.
Keeping the Same Bass Note (aka “Pedal Tone”)
We can also use slash chords to keep the bass note the same while the rest of the chord changes above it.
This is called a “pedal tone”, and creates a specific musical effect.
Sor’s Bm Etude Op35 no.22 uses a “pedal tone”. The F# remains the bass note below both the Bm and the F#7 chords.
Variation and Contrast
Slash chords can also spice up simple or repetitive chord progressions. (A chord progression is a string of many chords or sequence of chords).
Many pieces move between just two or three chords for the entire piece. Slash chords allow the composer or accompanist to keep the music interesting and novel.
What are the Most Common Slash Chords?
In theory, we can put any bass note under any chord. However, by far the most common are simple chords with a different chord tone as the bass.
Most slash chords are “chord inversions”. This means that the other notes of the chord are the same. The difference is that a non-root note is in the lowest-sounding position.
For example, a C major chord contains the notes C, E, and G. The note “C” is in the root position. A slash chord (or chord inversion) would put either the E or G as the bass note. This is true for seventh chords as well. Not just chords with three notes.
Most slash chords are “cowboy chords” with a different bass note.
So the most common slash chords will be “cowboy chords” (open-position chords) with a different bass note, though we do
Many of the most common slash chords
How to Practice Slash Chords
We can get along with no formal practice of slash chords. However, it may be helpful to memorize the most common slash chords so it’s easier to recognize them in music.
Scenario #1: Mainly Composed Music
If our main focus is on playing composed classical guitar pieces or arrangements, we can just keep an eye out for slash chords. Then, when we encounter them, we can identify them.
We can either figure out why the composer chose that version of the guitar chord, or simply notice how it’s used. When we come to it, we can think of those notes as the original chord shape, altered. This will aid memory and speed up learning.
Scenario #2: Mainly Accompanimental Playing
Many guitarists play primarily to accompany singing (their own or someone else’s), or to accompany other instruments, such as in a group or circle.
If our main focus is on accompanimental improvisation (playing un-scripted chords along with others), slash chords can add interest and novelty.
Perhaps the most useful form of practice in this situation would be to identify common chord changes and find slash-chord alternatives. In other words, we can focus on practical application. (Think popular music)
For instance, a common chord combination is
C, G, D, G
To add variation, we can replace any or all of these with slash chords:
C, G/B, D/A, G
In time, our vocabulary will grow, and many slash chords will become as familiar as the basic guitar chords.
What to Do First
To get started in slash chords,
Other than that, you can store this information away for when it’s needed, or you can create a plan to practice slash chords more intentionally. The choice is yours!
What Are Slash Chords?
Lisa Witt / Chord Theory / Jun 23
When you first see slash chords in music, they can look super confusing and pretty intimidating. You’ll most likely think, “What the heck is that?!”
Take this line from “Desperado” by The Eagles:
That’s what it looks like in music. But what does it mean and more importantly, how do you play it?
Let’s break it down and look at that slash chord.
The first letter is the CHORD. That is the chord we are playing at that time. I find it helpful to think about it as what your right hand is doing.
The slash just means “over the top of”.
Then the second letter is the name of the note you’ll play with your LEFT hand in the bass.
So a G/B chord would be a G chord with your right hand and a B note with your left.
It may be useful to think of slash chords in terms of their structure:
Slash chords as inversions
Another way of thinking about slash chords is that the symbols are giving us an INSTRUCTION about which INVERSION to use to pay the chord in.
Think of a G chord. The notes are G-B-D.
Walking basslines
You can get slash chords that have notes that don’t belong to the chord. So they’re not really an inversion and on their own, they can sound pretty crunchy and just wrong.
These are often used as part of a walking bassline. Where the bottom note is traveling somewhere, and the slash chord is just a step on that journey.
Look at the song “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Annie Lennox. There are lots of slash chords here:
Notice that the notes DON’T belong to the basic chords. C/B can sound pretty crunchy when played on its own. But here the technique is used to WALK the bassline down from the C chord to the Am chord. And using the B to get there is a beautiful way to do it.
You can see this entire line of music uses slash chords to walk the bass from a top C down to a lower C. Pretty cool.
Slash chord practice tips
Slash chords make a dramatic difference in songs. It helps to get comfortable knowing how to play them and also learning how they SOUND.
Pick a chord, look at the notes of that chord, and try playing the chord in your right-hand while alternating the bass notes in your left hand!
You could also try playing other notes from the scale of the chord to see how that sounds.
Slash chords don’t have to be intimidating, scary, or something to avoid. Now you know what they are and how to play them, your songs will sound even better.
Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for 19 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others.
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Slash chords
The slash chords (a.k.a. split chords) are named so because of the slash symbol in the chord name. For example C/D is a C chord with a D as the bass note. Therefore, it includes the notes D, C, E and G as opposed to a regular C chord including C, E and G.
The slash chords are related to inverted chords, but can also have a bass note that doesn’t belong to the original chord.
Let’s say you’re playing in a band; in this case you will probably stick to the ordinary C chord as the bassist will take care of the bass note D. But playing on your own you will instead include all the four notes on your guitar. It isn’t strictly necessary in the way that your music will be completely awkward just playing the regular C chord, but you will discover that there’re many possibilities to elaborate a song with slash chords (see suggestions of progressions further below).
Overview of slash chords
Slash chords sorted by note
The pictures above show some of the most useful chords with alternative bass notes. But there is more, and some are listed here in annotated form:
D/E: 000232
D(no5)/E: XX2032
D(no5)/F: XX3032
D/C#: X40232 / X4423X
Dmaj7/E: 000222
E/D (E7/D): XX0100
E/A: X0645X
Em/C (Cmaj7): X32000
Em/D#: XX1000
Em/F: 122000
Em/A: X02000
F/D: XX0211
F/E: XX2211
F/G: 3X321X / 3X3221
G/A: X00003
G/C: X30003
G/F: 1X000X
G/F#: XX4433
Gm6/Bb: X10030
A/D: XX0220
A/F#: 202220
A/G#: 402220
B/A: X0444X
B/A#: X1444X
B/G: 42444X
B/E: 02444X
Bsus2/E: 024422
Bm/C#: X40432
Bm/E: 024432
Bm/G: 320002
Bm(add4)/A: X04430
When the instrument sets the limit
It is possible to play all combinations in the area of chords with alternative bass notes. However, in some cases it doesn’t work very well because of the instrument. In some cases, other better possibilities can be found by using alternate tunings.
Chord progressions with slash chord
Slash chords are often used to make smooth progressions between chords. Instead of change directly from a C to an Am the slash chord C/B can be put in between. This works well because the note B is flanked by A and C in the relevant musical scale. Here follows examples of the usability of slash chords in progressions:
Another approach on the same theme is to insert a G/F# chord between G and Em. F# (F sharp) is positioned between G and E in the scale of G major.
The following progression creates a descending bass line (Am/G can be easier to play as Am7/G: 302010 ):
A slight nuance can be created by Em/D placed between Em and Cmaj7:
Em – Em/D – Cmaj7
D – Bm – Bm/A – G
Chord progressions with many slash chords
In the same fashion as some of the examples above, but using two slash chords is also an alternative in some occasions. Scroll up to see diagrams.
The slash chord D/C# can be played by baring the three lowest string with one finger to be able to reach up to the C# on the fourth fret on the fifth string.
D – D/C# – Bm – Bm/A – G
Am – Am/G – Am/F# – F
This is a nice sequence and you can to play to strum the chords or just the bass strings in the Am/G, Am/F# movement, or something in between. The following two progressions have many similarities:
A – A/G – A/F# – E
E – A/F# – A/G# – A
For the above sequence you need to play the A chord with only the index fingers or use the thumb for the bass strings.
D – D/C – D/B – D/A
Dm – Dm/C – Dm/B – Dm/A
The similarities with the two progressions above are obvious. Both will sound nice, and especially with different finger picking patterns.
E – E/B – E/C – E/C#
Two sequences with E minor and major respectively. Yes, it is true that C cannot be found in the E major scale, but it will still work as a chromatic bass walk.
Another progression, why stop? This includes a minor seventh, and of course, you could elaborate almost endlessly with alternative bass note in several chord categories.
G – G/F# – C/E – Am/E – Am/F# – G
The progression above includes both slash chords in forms of inverted triads and with alternative bass notes. They create ascending and descending bass lines.
Although, it is not always that shifting to another chord via a slash chord works that well. Sometimes there are no perfect changes. As for C/D#, which on piano had been suitable between C and D, but there is no chord shape on the guitar that makes the transition smooth, and the bigger the changes are in finger positions, the less likely for the progression to sound great.
Famous songs with many slash chords
For example, is the Eagles song «Hotel California» consisting of a longer sequence with this chord type:
Am/C – E/B – G/B – D/A – F/A – C/G – Dm/A – E/G# («Hotel California» by Eagles)
Overlaps
It’s not unusual that slash chords, especially with four notes or more, coincide with extended chords. For example, Cmaj7/D and Fmaj7/G can be played with the same shape as D13sus and G13sus, respectively.
A last comment
If you’re playing in a band; in this case you probably will stick to the ordinary chord as the bassist will take care of the bass note. But when playing on your own you will play all the four notes on your guitar. It isn’t strictly necessary in the way that your music will be completely awkward just playing the regular C chord, but as you probably discovered by now there’re many possibilities to elaborate a progression/song with slash chords.