Remember that slash
chords are chords written like
this: Amin7/D. When you see one,
it means to play the first
letter as a chord with the
second letter as the bottom note
in the bass.
Slash chords are often used to
simplify things for the
instrumentalist and they do make
things simpler. If you do not
label chords as slash chords,
you end up labeling the bass
note as the chord with a lot of
7ths, 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.
You may have figured out that I
am not a huge fan of labeling
chords as slash chords. That is
a preference (based on my study
in jazz where slash chords are
rarely used), but many great
musicians disagree with me. Even
many professional musicians
prefer to see IV/V rather than
something like V7(9)(11). So, if
you want to use slash chords,
feel free. However, if you like
my approach better, you will
still need to use slash chords
in some spots. Here is an
example:
This chord is clearly an A minor
7th in second inversion. It
would rarely be appropriate to
call it a Emin(11)(13), though
that would technically be
correct. (The E and G hint at E
minor, the A is the 11th and the
C is the 13th.)
So, if you are just dealing with
an inversion, classify the chord
as a slash chord. Otherwise, it
is up to you whether to think of
them as slash chords or not.
Practice strategy: (Continued from the last lesson)
If you were to pick up a hymnal and open to any song, would you be able to
rattle off the chord names as fast as hymn is sung? If you can’t, start
practicing on a hymn or two when you have a chance. Hymn chords are very
simplistic and you will find yourself naming them quickly within a few months.
If you come to chords that you can’t figure out, just skip them for now. If you need more help before starting this exercise, study the first example in this lesson.
