Three note chords C#-A-E. What chord name?

[garybaldy]

A/C#, these three note chords are widely used and I was taught them by Trefor Owen over 30 years ago.

Below, from the book, "Three-Note Voicings by Randy Vincent", the book adds more complexity to three note chords, it's a book I've learnt from for over 20 years. A great three note chord book IMHO.

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Forgive me for using the wrong chord name, I sometimes forget.

Is it possible for you you post some more pages of the Walking Guitar concept pls? (If there are any!)

[GuyBoden]

Is it possible for you you post some more pages of the Walking Guitar concept pls? (If there are any!)

Copyrights?

[djg]

hmm. maybe has been over complicated, but can't say I agree with laughing in people's online faces

what else is left?

[ragman1]

Forgive me for using the wrong chord name, I sometimes forget.

You don't need to 'forget', you have the book. I was a step away from asking you if you were using, or being inspired by, any kind of resource but I thought you'd tell me if you wanted to.

It took me a few seconds to find what I wanted because it's right there on the first page you posted (amazing that should be just the right page).

Straightforward major slash chords, i.e.C/E and Bb/D, are on the first page, ex. 4-5 and are played like this. Note the fingering:



The shape you were using is right next to them. Note the fingering:



Well, what do you know, they're dominants (omit 3) but with the b7 in the bass.

So the correct shape should probably have been the second one but it should have been called A7/C# and all that hifalutin' crap was unnecessary. Mind you, that was quite obvious anyway. You really should have just changed it to C#o and solved it instantly.

I don't think you 'forgot' anything. And now, after all the effort put in by others, instead of making it worthwhile and completing it, you're going to dump it.

I'm beginning to think you're a complete liability, mate. You remind me of my brother, he was even worse!

[AllanAllen]

I’m confused. You seem to be saying A/C# is more complicated?


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I think we are having 2 different discussions here. One is simple A C# E is an A major triad. Boom done.

BUT... I don't recall a part of Summertime where the tonic goes to major. So, for me, an A major chord isn't going to work. Since A is the tonic chord and Summertime is minor.

Based on that, and the freaking miracle that I was able to put together the BH diminished move by raising A to A#, I made my suggestion.

Is it really apparent that, in a minor tune an out of place tonic major would resolve up a fourth to a IV minor? Not to me, but I'm well aware of the Dunning Kruger valley I'm in, so enlighten me.

I see a bunch of charts have been added to the thread. At a glance, none of them have a major tonic chord...

[ragman1]

I think we are having 2 different discussions here. One is simple A C# E is an A major triad. Boom done.

It was never a major chord, it was a dominant. Read my post above.

[djg]

Is it really apparent that, in a minor tune an out of place tonic major would resolve up a fourth to a IV minor?

in a case like this? yes it is. absolutely 100%. it is expected and played above a certain level.

there are countless hidden chords in the songs we play. and the I chord becoming a dominant to introduce the IV chord is absolute bread and butter. you can safely ignore anyone who claims otherwise.

[ragman1]

the I chord becoming a dominant to introduce the IV chord is absolute bread and butter. you can safely ignore anyone who claims otherwise.

They were all claiming otherwise, they were saying it was a major slash chord. I did warn Guy, I told him.

[GuyBoden]

I think we are having 2 different discussions here. One is simple A C# E is an A major triad. Boom done.

BUT... I don't recall a part of Summertime where the tonic goes to major. So, for me, an A major chord isn't going to work. Since A is the tonic chord and Summertime is minor.

Based on that, and the freaking miracle that I was able to put together the BH diminished move by raising A to A#, I made my suggestion.

Is it really apparent that, in a minor tune an out of place tonic major would resolve up a fourth to a IV minor? Not to me, but I'm well aware of the Dunning Kruger valley I'm in, so enlighten me.

I see a bunch of charts have been added to the thread. At a glance, none of them have a major tonic chord...

The chord notes I'm using in the fifth bar are C#-A-E, I've always known a C#dim can be played, but I like C#-A-E or I've got accustomed to the sound .

Below is my Amended chart, any suggestions are welcome.

(The way I play Summertime hasn't changed, but the chord names have. Many thanks.)

The song remains the same.

[mr. beaumont]

JFC it's an A (or A7) setting up a Dm.

Let's talk about something interesting like the whole concept of "Walking guitar." Could be a SUMMER OF RHYTHM segue...Summer of Rhythm 2026: LETS TAKE A WALK.

[AllanAllen]

in a case like this? yes it is. absolutely 100%. it is expected and played above a certain level.

there are countless hidden chords in the songs we play. and the I chord becoming a dominant to introduce the IV chord is absolute bread and butter. you can safely ignore anyone who claims otherwise.

And where is the b7 in A C# E?

Has anyone in this thread has called it an A7/C#? That's different than A/C#. These little bits matter to the uneducated, and by uneducated I mean myself.

[AllanAllen]

JFC it's an A (or A7) setting up a Dm.

Let's talk about something interesting like the whole concept of "Walking guitar." Could be a SUMMER OF RHYTHM segue...Summer of Rhythm 2026: LETS TAKE A WALK.

Don't take this away from me

[mr. beaumont]

Function always dictates naming.

But nobody liked my C# A G chord? Too stretchy? Gets that 7th in there though...

[AllanAllen]

Am A7 Dm is something I understand.

[ragman1]

Has anyone in this thread has called it an A7/C#?

I just did. See above. God, this is tedious.

'So the correct shape should probably have been the second one but it should have been called A7/C#'

[AllanAllen]

I just did. See above. God, this is tedious.

I missed that, but I disagree about it being tedious. I'm learning stuff here, mostly that my harmonic analysis game is weak, but learning nonetheless.

[ragman1]

Well, bless you, Allan. I wouldn't mind if it had been accurate and enlightening but I didn't find it so, it was just confusing and ultimately not much use in this context.

Discovering that a major slash chord is a viable alternative to the usual dom is useful. I doubt that I'll be using it much, though, it's a specialised option.

[ragman1]

any suggestions are welcome.

Yes, my suggestion is now to play it, make it good, and transcend all this labelling bollocks. It's music so let's hear it and give you a big cheer.

[Christian Miller]

A/C#, these three note chords are widely used and I was taught them by Trefor Owen over 30 years ago.

Below, from the book, "Three-Note Voicings by Randy Vincent", the book adds more complexity to three note chords, it's a book I've learnt from for over 20 years. A great three note chord book IMHO.

Attachment 132174
Attachment 132175


Forgive me for using the wrong chord name, I sometimes forget.

These things are a lot like stride piano

There’s was a Western swing guy - was it Doug Granger? - who used them a lot.

I use these types of shapes a lot to join chords to each other.

Things like Blue Monk, Basin Street Blues, Don’t get around much any more and so on lend themselves naturally to these types of voicings.

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[GuyBoden]

Anyway, the last chord in bar 13 going to C6 should be G7/D not Dm6. Yes, it has the same three notes D-B-F as Dm6, it sounds the same, but crucially it has a different function.

Yes, we're all learning. It's only a hobby.

[John A.]

Anyway I'm bored to death now so I'll play it instead. Not Guy's thing but my own.

(I have a feeling that Guy will be dithering over what to call his CAE chord now, if he chooses that one. Should it be A/C# or C#mb6? The solution to that is easy. It's a bridging chord between C and Dm so it should be a C# chord. Calling it A/C# there doesn't make a lot of logical sense so the answer is C#mb6. But I expect he won't believe me so he'll have to go round everybody again now checking up... lordy, lordy :-))

In that tune and context I don't see that as a C# chord. I see it as an A7 anticipating the D min that follows (as do most of the people commenting so far as I can tell). You can make the case for calling a C# via your logic, but I don't think most people writing a chart for others to play would write it that way (and on a quick search can't find any lead sheets that do). I would just write it as 3-1/2 bars of Amin and 1/2 a bar of A7 (or possibly just 4 bars of Amin) and assume that the players would come up with their own voicings. Googling around, one sees many different ways of charting Summertime, stemming from various intentions/arrangements and understandings of what's happening functionally in the tune (not sure how the original is notated, but I assume as a full score without chord names given the tune's origins). I think your certainty and dismissiveness about this is misplaced.

[Christian Miller]

I think we are having 2 different discussions here. One is simple A C# E is an A major triad. Boom done.

BUT... I don't recall a part of Summertime where the tonic goes to major. So, for me, an A major chord isn't going to work. Since A is the tonic chord and Summertime is minor.

Based on that, and the freaking miracle that I was able to put together the BH diminished move by raising A to A#, I made my suggestion.

Is it really apparent that, in a minor tune an out of place tonic major would resolve up a fourth to a IV minor? Not to me, but I'm well aware of the Dunning Kruger valley I'm in, so enlighten me.

I see a bunch of charts have been added to the thread. At a glance, none of them have a major tonic chord...

I think you’ve got it.

And for the reason that you say I would probably tend to write A7/C# in the chart just to be clear that this is in fact a dominant chord. Even though there’s no G note in the dots.

The half step below is always a strong move to the next chord root, even where it’s out of key. If you look at walking jazz basslines you see it all the time.

Here it’s C# to D.

A/C#, A7/C# and C#o7 (or bloody C#m7b13 lol) are just options for chords that go with that bass.

Which is to say I’m thinking about the bass note not the chord. Which is where your C#o7 came from.

[grahambop]

These things are a lot like stride piano

There’s was a Western swing guy - was it Doug Granger? - who used them a lot.

I use these types of shapes a lot to join chords to each other.

Things like Blue Monk, Basin Street Blues, Don’t get around much any more and so on lend themselves naturally to these types of voicings.

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Ranger Doug I think.

Lots of examples here:

A Comparative Study of Rhythm Guitar Styles

[Christian Miller]

In that tune and context I don't see that as a C# chord. I see it as an A7 anticipating the D min that follows (as do most of the people commenting so far as I can tell). You can make the case for calling a C# via your logic, but I don't think most people writing a chart for others to play would write it that way (and on a quick search can't find any lead sheets that do). I would just write it as 3-1/2 bars of Amin and 1/2 a bar of A7 (or possibly just 4 bars of Amin) and assume that the players would come up with their own voicings. Googling around, one sees many different ways of charting Summertime, stemming from various intentions/arrangements and understandings of what's happening functionally in the tune (not sure how the original is notated, but I assume as a full score without chord names given the tune's origins). I think your certainty and dismissiveness about this is misplaced.

Hey - is this thread rerunning the paradigm shift in 18th/19th century music theory from the study of harmonised bass lines to chord progressions based on root movement and functions?

As a generalbaß fundamentalist I must therefore say - filthy Rameau-ite

Down with fundamental bass!


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[John A.]

The chord notes I'm using in the fifth bar are C#-A-E, I've always known a C#dim can be played, but I like C#-A-E or I've got accustomed to the sound .

Below is my Amended chart, any suggestions are welcome.

(The way I play Summertime hasn't changed, but the chord names have. Many thanks.)

The song remains the same.

Ultimately it comes down to why you're writing a chart. If notating it this way helps you play it and internalize it, great. If you're writing it for others to play and you want them to play exactly those voicings, maybe it would help, maybe not (because it's making it seem functionally busier than the tune arguably is). If what you really want to do is present the tune concisely with the expectation that others will come up with their own voicings, it would probably be better to leave out the voicing info and just write it as | Amin | A min | Amin | Amin A7 |