The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I have bought the package of books and I was surprised there wasn't a discussion of slash chords.
    Sometimes they are just inversions and that is fine but sometimes they seem kind of random.
    For example, Birdland has F/G F/Bb Eb/Bb F/C F/B Gm/C F/Eb
    Does anyone have a system, similar to the instruction books from JGO, on learning default slash chords?
    I find myself randomly working these out on the fly with sometimes not so great results.

    Thanks
    don-E

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Hi,
    Can't comment on the literature, but I can share my view.

    Slash chords are smart where chord nomenclature in general is not.

    Most of the time a slash chord is an inversion of another chord.
    An inverted chord sounds different, sometimes very different than the root chord, and therefore could not always be substituted with the root chord for a progression to work in a specific context.

    The slash chord clearly tells us what the bass note is supposed to be, this is most useful not only for the bass player, but also for guitar and piano so that we don't muffle the bass part.

    An alternative to a slash chord would be to specify the degree of inversion and even though there are situations this would be preferred, a slash chord would be an acceptable pragmatic solution in most situations.

    The same group of notes, could be called many different names depending on function (context, key and progression). A passing note in the bass line would typically not constitute basis for naming a chord. Assume you're playing chord melody and mix triads with some idea of "walking bass" and that some combinations of notes sound interesting to your ears; Now, -what are you supposed to call that chord? That would depend on the function, but most of the time you'll get away with a slash chord that cannot be misunderstood by your band mates.

  4. #3

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    Slash chords can range in complexity from specific inversions of a 4 part chord to modal voicings where all the triads within a scale are available to a particular root to the deep end of the spectral pool where you're not limited to diatonicism (your triad choice is dependent on the chromatic and sonic degree of dissonance or consonance you with to introduce) or an ordering system like Mick Goodrick's Almanac system where harmony is not necessarily based on tertiary harmony but rather all permutations of 4 note note groupings each of which can create a voice led or harmonic system within itself.
    The latter two ideas I mentioned here will include non functional harmony and can be used with much success and depth in an aural based system that includes sequences and non functional harmony which finds resolution in a turnaround or convergence with a tonic (back inside) function.
    So it's a big picture of what you can do, and more than one route of study. That may be why you can't find a particular book on the topic.
    There are several threads on this forum where I've discussed a few of these approaches (the Pezanelli system of chromatic triads and the Goodchord voice led approach) but it's a topic that can take you through your entire life.
    Have fun and good luck!

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by dmerson
    Does anyone have a system, similar to the instruction books from JGO, on learning default slash chords?
    Thanks
    don-E
    One basic resource would be Rick Peckham's The Berklee Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary, pp. 16-17.

  6. #5

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    See also Mel Bay's Complete Book of Harmony, Theory & Voicing by Brett Willmott, pp. 203-229.
    Last edited by gcb; 02-16-2022 at 08:53 AM. Reason: spelling mistake

  7. #6

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    If you’re going to play with a band you can drop the slash, it’s the bass player’s part.

  8. #7

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    Steely Dan

    A couple of observations re: Steely Dan is they often have step-like motion in their chord progressions and often use slash chords. Just making stuff up, two examples, on the attached image, but these sound like Steely Dan devices to me. Note that the G9/B is an inversion of the famous Steely Dan mu major chord.
    Attached Images Attached Images Slash Chords-steely-dan-like-jpg 

  9. #8

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    To take your first chord, F/G is a popular pop sound, a suspended G chord (G9sus4). Carole King loved it.

    G9Sus4: 3x321x

    If you want to get jazzier, replace the A with an Ab, G7b9sus4, a chord so cool they call it The Fridge. Resolve the top three notes down into a CMaj7:

    G Fridge: 3x311x
    CMaj7: x3200x
    Last edited by BigDaddyLoveHandles; 02-16-2022 at 01:39 PM.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
    To take your first chord, F/G is a popular pop sound, a suspended G chord (G9sus4). Carole King loved it.

    G9Sus4: 3x321x

    If you want to get jazzier, replace the A with an Ab, G7b9sus4, a chord so cool they call it The Fridge. Resolve the top three notes down into a CMaj7:

    G Fridge: 3x311x
    CMaj7: x3200x
    G Fridge ..AKA Fmin/G

    The G9 sus4 = G11 = F/G

    a nice move for this is

    F/G move up a min3rd .. Ab/Bb
    it can resolve to many places depending on context..but a safe one is CMA7 flavor

    in a "fusion" style setting..the slash chord is common and the harmony above the bass note is often a series of intervals rather than a fixed chord in a diatonic or a non-functional setting .. try as they may to name that chord..it can be a puzzle for even studio session players.

    I will break the chord name down to its most basic related triad and make adjustments from there if need be

  11. #10

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    Slash chords are great. Context is important. Sometimes, they are an indication of what the bass note is - its melodic movement. Sometimes, they are a way to emphasize upper chord tones.

    Take F/Bb. If you play it at fifth position - 6X756X - you could analyze it as a BbMAJ9 without a 3rd. It’s a different sound without the third. More ambiguous.

    But, context. Maybe the next chord symbol is C/A - maybe you play it 5X555X. You could analyze that as FMAJ9 in first inversion with the third in the bass. Again, an ambiguous sound, but a sort of resolution from F/Bb.

    Many of these slash chords are a way of making straightforward V-I or IV-I progressions less obvious, more modern. Often, just dealing with the “left” side of the symbol is all you need to do as a comper or soloist. You focus on the F triad to C triad, the bassist plays Bb to A and… instant modernity (circa 1970, or over a half-century ago).

    General advice: don’t just look at a chord for what it is (vertically) but rather look at where it came from (the previous chord) and where it’s going (the next chord) or HORIZONTALLY.
    Last edited by maxsmith; 02-17-2022 at 08:16 AM.

  12. #11

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    GIT published a book in the 1980s called “Ten” - ten guitarists offer a masterclass chapter on a particular technical or theoretical topic. Don Mock’s chapter is all about slash chords, and I recall getting a lot out of it at the time.

    I think it’s out of print, but you could look for a used copy.

    Ten: Ten Top Guitarists Offer Their Insights to Guitar Artistry.
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ESN5MI...VD295MP5VJR4DW

    Slash Chords-88d83cea-8115-41f5-9f18-fc90a9201627-jpeg

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by maxsmith
    GIT published a book in the 1980s called “Ten” - ten guitarists offer a masterclass chapter on a particular technical or theoretical topic. Don Mock’s chapter is all about slash chords, and I recall getting a lot out of it at the time.

    I think it’s out of print, but you could look for a used copy.

    Ten: Ten Top Guitarists Offer Their Insights to Guitar Artistry.
    Amazon.com

    Slash Chords-88d83cea-8115-41f5-9f18-fc90a9201627-jpeg
    I'd have paid to see Joe Pass and EVH trade fours.

  14. #13

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    Here's the Don Mock chapter from "Ten" discussing slash chords. Very good stuff with examples.

    Dropbox - Don Mock - Slash Chords.pdf - Simplify your life

    Here's a piece I wrote a year or two ago using almost all slash chords. Each "A" section has a slightly different bass line. Here's a link to an audio rendering from Guitar Pro:

    Dropbox - Pelican Cove MP3.mp3 - Simplify your life

    Slash Chords-pelican-cove-png-page-1-jpgSlash Chords-pelican-cove-png-page-2-jpg

  15. #14

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    The Advancing Guitarist starting on page 74.

  16. #15
    I am totally stunned by all the great advice from the various replies.
    Thanks everyone who replied. I found everything helpful and/or informative.
    I will keep these forum on the short list of things to do to approve my playing.

  17. #16

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    [QUOTE=maxsmith;1181137]Here's the Don Mock chapter from "Ten" discussing slash chords. Very good stuff with examples.

    Dropbox - Don Mock - Slash Chords.pdf - Simplify your life

    the name Don Mock was in a Howard Roberts book many years ago..Howard gave inspirational credit for writing the book..It may have been his "Sight Reading Manual"

    He and Roberts are the kind of musicians that explore music in a very intense way..and apply it to the guitar

    I found a vid of Mock playing/teaching..he and Roberts were pioneers in starting GIT which became Musicians Institute and was creative hub for
    guitar/music instruction in the 70's..some of the top players would teach there..Joe Diorio..Ted Greene and many others.

    If you can find a vid of Don or Howard playing please do so..

  18. #17

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    I'm not sure I understand the question.

    If it's about how to organize "slash chords" in your internal harmonic palette, then I don't have an answer. I think there is one, along the lines of playing a major triad with every possible bass note and finding the functions of these combinations. But, I don't have a list. (EDIT: I just read the Don Mock article, someone linked above -- it does this job -- thanks!).

    I notice that mostly, it's major triad plus bass note, but not always. So, you may have to try the same exercise with minor triads.

    If, the question is how to find them on the guitar, then it's just knowing where all the triads are and all the bass notes. So, you're thinking about chords based on the notes in them and not based on the geometry of a grip.

    So, for example, if you see C/Eb, you know that there's a Cmaj triad at the 5th fret (GCE) and an Eb at the 6th on the A string. So, instantly, you grab x6555x. And, that can be done all over the neck in different inversions. Since there are only three useful low Eb's, the number of reachable C/Eb grips is finite.

    You can learn it with the grips suggested in Don Mock's article or just learn all the notes in triads in 12 keys and where they are. Some work, either way.

    BTW, you can hear C#/E in Toninho Horta's Prato Feito. The harmonic flow sounds great, but I can't explain it in functional terms. Maybe somebody else can.

  19. #18

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    Slash chords are a pain to read.

    Practice reading more slash chords. Learn three note triads in all string groups, open and close (shouldn’t take too long as there’s not that many) and then add the bass note when this is secure.

    in a band you don’t have to worry about the thing after the slash (if you are soloing base your lines on the triad before the slash and you’ll be fine.)

    Anway I’ve got to a place where I look on all common four note chords as slash chords basically, so it’s rapidly becoming my happy place.

    eg
    Cmaj7 = Em/C
    Am7b5 = Cm/A
    G7b5 = Db/G
    Dmaj7#9 = Eb(add4)/D

    etc

    playing the bit before the slash is a great way to get that modern sound on extended chords. Once you are comfortable with this you can use added notes to taste….

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    in a band you don’t have to worry about the thing after the slash (if you are soloing base your lines on the triad before the slash and you’ll be fine.)
    I agree, yes, you’ll be fine, but if you want to play in a more linear way, sometimes the note to the right (the bass note) is important, otherwise every time that chord comes around you’ll be stuck outlining an F triad.

    If you are going to play more scalar lines, F/Bb and F/B are two different chords and are likely serving different harmonic functions. I’ve also seen F/Eb, F/Db, F/F#, etc. and while you could play an F triad over all those, you might want to analyze the context and the key to see if the slash chord is standing in for some other normal thirds-based harmony.

    That being said, outlining the triad is a great first option and knowing your triads all over the neck is a superb idea.

    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Miller
    Anway I’ve got to a place where I look on all common four note chords as slash chords basically, so it’s rapidly becoming my happy place.

    eg
    Cmaj7 = Em/C
    Am7b5 = Cm/A
    G7b5 = Db/G
    Dmaj7#9 = Eb(add4)/D

    playing the bit before the slash is a great way to get that modern sound on extended chords. Once you are comfortable with this you can use added notes to taste….
    This approach is indeed a fantastic way to get more advanced sounds and nudge you away from starting and ending your lines on the root.
    Last edited by maxsmith; 02-19-2022 at 10:48 AM.

  21. #20

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    Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me of that.

    That book is a goldmine.

    But you do have to bring your own pick and shovel…

    Quote Originally Posted by JohnoL
    The Advancing Guitarist starting on page 74.

  22. #21

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    I've absolutely no idea what anyone is talking about here with these 'Slash Chords', I think you've all got the wrong end of the stick.

    Sweet child of mine for example is simple, G C and D with a couple of power chords. Most guns n roses songs are similar.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by KingKong
    I've absolutely no idea what anyone is talking about here with these 'Slash Chords', I think you've all got the wrong end of the stick.

    Sweet child of mine for example is simple, G C and D with a couple of power chords. Most guns n roses songs are similar.
    hehe

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by ll00l0l
    Do altered bass notes normally appear in all parts or only the bassist's? E.g. for a Cm7/A chord, would the piano part simply show Cm7, to keep it uncluttered?
    In Cm7 the minor 7 is Bb. If you add an A on top you'll get Cm13, a good sounding, valid chord.
    One octave lower, that A becomes the 6th that would clash with the minor 7th. Cm6 usually is of a different function. The chord can't be a Cm6 and a Cm7 at the same time.

    Two octaves below the 13, that A becomes the root of a chord that possibly could be referred to as Eb/A. But there's a problem...this chord sounds very strange, because the 5th of the Eb is Bb that clashes with the root A, a semi step below.

    Voicings are important. A chord chart typically serves more than one purpose. It's not merely an instruction what to play, but it also enables a musician to analyze and understand the harmonic progression, the composition.

    In your example, there's a high probability the chord you're looking for is not what you think it is. In order to find out you would have to do a functional analysis. Anyway I wouldn't instruct the piano to play Cm7 unless that's obvious...in which case one has to ask why the bass is playing an A? Maybe just a passing note in which case the chord chart should not be cluttered with that A, because it makes things very confusing.

    In summary: Slash chords are great when meaningful, for example to highlight a chord inversion.

  25. #24

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  26. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by wolflen
    G Fridge
    :-)