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A three note chord has the notes C#-A-E.
It's passing chord, but what is the chord name for C#-A-E ?
The preceding chord is the three note chord CM6. (C-A-E)
The three note chord after C#-A-E is Dm6 (D-B-F)
So, I'm struggling to find a sensible name for this three note chord with the notes C#-A-E.
(Part) Chord progression:
C-A-E
C#-A-E
D-B-F
It's much easier to play than to find appropriate Chord names.
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05-18-2026 05:22 AM
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Perhaps the dominant of Dm6?
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
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It's Amaj/C# tonicizing the Dminor chord that comes after. It's a dominant passing chord. It's a dominant chord without the 7th which is very common outside of jazz. It is in first inversion which creates a chromatic voice leading in the bass (also very common).
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A?
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My god what has this forum done to us
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Actually it's taught me a lot. I'm better than when I arrived about 20 years ago.
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I don't understand, guys? They are triads?
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A/C#
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I could call the progression Amin/C, A/C#, Bmin/D. That would be AN answer, but who knows if it's THE answer? What's the tune, key signature, melody? Is there a bass part below the chord? Etc., etc. Chords don't have names outside of context and you're not giving us enough of that to do anything other than invent one and squeeze an answer into that.
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
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Sure, but I'll just say this:
These are the most basic triads; major, minor, and diminished. I know there are other ones
This move could be found in 1687
The question was name not function
No additional bass note was mentioned
edit: your stuff is right and fancy stuff is great...it's just that this isn't fancy
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Guys ………….. really?
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hmm. maybe has been over complicated, but can't say I agree with laughing in people's online faces
Originally Posted by brent.h
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Sounds to me like
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
A minor
A major
then
D diminished probably followed by E major flat nine
or
D minor sixth probably followed by G dom. seventh
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Originally Posted by GuyBoden
I don't understand how you can be so confident that the preceeding chord "is" CM6, and the following chord "is" Dm6 ...and yet you don't know what the C#-A-E trichord "is" ?!?!
Think about what value there is in calling/naming a simultaneity of pitch classes anything; e.g., what are you achieving by saying C-A-E "is" CM6? Does it help you understand how that simultaneity functions in the context of the entire tune? Or, does it make it more efficient to recognize how to execute that simultaneity on your instrument?
Once you know what it is you are looking for -- information, shortcuts/shorthand, insight, etc. -- it becomes much easier to find an appropriate name for a simultaneity
...so long as you also understand that naming something doesn't necessarily mean that's what that something "is".
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Yes, they are very simple Freddie Green style three note chords.
I've resorted to asking Artificial Intelligence. (AI to the rescue. A Major)
But, I'm calling it an 'F#m7/C#' chord, not sure if this is much help.
For context, here is the 4 bars of Summertime. Note the last chord F#m7/C# has the notes C#-A-E.
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I have no trouble playing the chords, but the problem is naming them.
Originally Posted by Bob_Ross
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And that's exactly what he wasn't doing :-)
Originally Posted by brent.h
This is becoming absurd. But at least the OP is the centre of attention. Temporarily.
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It's Summertime, John. Somewhere there's a chart with it all notated out. Good luck.
Originally Posted by John A.
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ooops
Originally Posted by joe2758
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You can’t name a shell off what you kept, you need to figure out the rest of the chord, and the role it’s playing.
If the next chord is Dm are you sure your triad isn’t C# A# E? That’ll give you a C# diminished leading into the Dm. Nice and simple.
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Originally Posted by RobbieAG
Thank you, I'd be happy to call the chord "A/C#".
In context, I think that the notes C#-A-E could also be called a "F#m7/C#" chord.
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It's Am/C A/C# D-6 (or Bo/D)
Originally Posted by GuyBoden
Functionally - a classic applied/secondary dominant moving to the IV chord. Very common in classical music.
Putting it in first inversion creates a nice bassline.
For example
Am Am/C A/C# D-6 B/D# Am/E Esus4 E
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Count me in as liking the A#.
But if I play an A7 there it obviously works, so I'd call it an A/C# if I wanted to be specific. But honestly, the C# A E voicing just doesn't have the pull of C# A# E...
Or get stretchy and play C# A G
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Surely this must be a new valley for Jazz Guitar Online.
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Let's be very, very clear.
When Guy wrote this he knew nothing about using maj inversions and tonicization, he just got it wrong. Initially he called the chord a C#m6 but got it wrong. He forgot to raise the A of C6 to an A# as the 6th of C#m6. That's why it was initially an A, not an A#. In other words the C# A E was a mistake. He didn't know how to join up a C to a Dm with a passing chord.
Now the effing theorymeisters arrive and tell him it's not a mistake. I hope for his sake he resists being sucked into the lunatic world of theory where two plus two equals five just because you want it to.
In any case, it all ultimately rests on how it sounds. The passing dim chord sounds right. Summertime is a simple tune. Repeating the A sounds lame. You don't realise how lame till you've heard the A#. Anybody who thinks otherwise has no ear, no taste, no feel, and is probably a theory headcase. Advanced theory is fine in its place but that place is not here with someone at Guy's level on bleeding Summertime.
Half you people are so messed up in the head you don't know what day it is.



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