Here's an example of the Nashville "slash" chords in the Key of C that I made up for an exercise that Tomo posted (chord names in RED are chords that Tomo uses often).

(NOTE: the empty red diamond just shows you where the bass note would be in the chord, just "eyeball" reference so you can better understand the bass note's relationship back to the triad chord)

Notice two important points: (A) the CHORD itself is a simple 3-note TRIAD on the treble strings; but (B) the BASS note (after the slash) can be a note on ANY of the other (E6-thru-D4) strings! As you can see, which bass string you use is pretty much determined by the note you need and the stretch necessary to reach it...use whatever is closest!



...remember: nothing fancy, just a TRIAD with added BASS note = 4-note chord!

This is interesting...are all the fingerings on the third fret or are the chords in the second row from the top starting on the 2nd fret? Maybe it's just the way I'm looking at the diagrams.  I get this and like the looks of it. Am I way off in presuming those are 'E shape' C chords?  Thanks for posting the C slash chords and the diagrams OTM !

...actually, they're all "A-shape" moved up (sharp) three frets to Key-of-C; notice the ROOT note on A5-string coincides with the "C"-note in the "C-shape" chord, e.g.: "C-shape" is going down (R, 3, 5) while "A-shape" is going up (R, 5, R).

...did you notice that the bass note (solid red diamond) is "mirrored" on D4- and G3-strings (empty red diamond)...can't "play" the G3-note because it takes away one of the triad notes...BUT, the bass notes on the D4-strings, you can "play!" (hint, hint!)...much easier to reach and finger!

NOTE: notes underneath each string are for the chord based upon the bass note, not upon the C chord itself. Just there for "information."

Ok, why didn't I say A shape ? I talked myself partially out of it because I didn't 'see' how to get to 'C' from 'A'. I do now though...so to recap, all the chords start on the third fret....just that the ones in the second row from the top don't show all the frets. Ok, got it.

Yes, noticed it's a simple triad on the treble strings. Ah, ok on the 'notes' underneath each string based on the chord for the bass note, not the C chord. That caught my eye and I admit I was a little confused at Ab at E6, 3. I see now that all the notations on the left pertain to raised and lowered bass notes. I hope.

From my other lessons, mirrored once again means it's the same note, different string and fret...well except E6, E1 where same fret same note? I hope I got dat right ! And yes, I notice that the empty diamond bass note 'cant play' since it would take away a ROOT note. Got that too OTM...great stuff, thanks friend !

...a neat "exercise" is to repeat the above chords using the "open-string" C-chord triad at fret 0, e.g.:

Eo---- 3rd (E note)
B|o--- Root (C note)
Go---- 5th (G note)
D|----
A|----
E|----

Sir OTM, that went right over my head...I know, I know...you've worked hard to bring me from the darkness into the light but this:

...'a neat "exercise" is to repeat the above chords using the "open-string" C-chord triad at fret 0, e.g.:'

Eo---- 3rd (E note)
B|o--- Root (C note)
Go---- 5th (G note)
D|----
A|----
E|----'

is something I want to learn I'm sure. Can you simplify for this country boy?  Thank you !

GuitarZen wrote:

Sir OTM, that went right over my head...I know, I know...you've worked hard to bring me from the darkness into the light but this:

...'a neat "exercise" is to repeat the above chords using the "open-string" C-chord triad at fret 0, e.g.:'

Eo---- 3rd (E note)
B|o--- Root (C note)
Go---- 5th (G note)
D|----
A|----
E|----'

is something I want to learn I'm sure. Can you simplify for this country boy?  Thank you !

...lots of C-triads on the neck (e.g.: the different INVERSIONS):

at fret 0 is G, C, E ...or 5, R, 3  <---this example
at fret 3 is C, E, G ...or R, 3, 5  <---previous example
at fret 8 is E, G, C ...or 3, 5, R
at fret 12 is G', C', E' ...or 5, R, 3 (again, but an octave higher)

...just finger the G/B/E-strings and add the BASS notes (B down to Db) on either the A5 or E6-string, for instance, the C/B chord would be:

Eo---- E (3rd)
B|o--- C (Root)
Go---- G (5th)
D|---- X
A|-o-- B (M7)
E|---- X

...what you'll end up doing is "chasing" the bass note "down" (flat) the scale and strings (first on A5- then on E6-)...some combinations will sound very good, others so-so. Remember the "good" ones.

OK ! I read, re-read and read the entire lesson again and again and it finally dawned on me what you're saying. Remember, I'm thick headed. The diagrams in the second row were throwing me off as on my screen, the second fret is missing...I see now fret 2 is there and assumed.

I now see that I'm 'chasing' the Bass note down, flatting, on A5 and E6. Easy once I understood what you meant. 

Now then OTM, I have looked at the diagrams so hard that not only do I understand more fully, but I've noticed something interesting that would be obvious to you the master and also to the more learned out there and that is, when moving the Bass note around, I see that the degree notes change, even as regards the basic C triad at G3 fret 5. B2 fret 5 and E1 fret 3.

I'm pretty clear that happens when raising or lowering R, 3, 5 in a triad. What I didn't know and would have never guessed is that all the degrees seem to have changed with each Bass note change on E6 and A5.  Can you give me some words on that boss? Great stuff here OTM, thanks for bearing with and hammering it into my skull !

...the "lesson" here is: the "Nashville" slash chord system tells you TRIAD / BASS-note, but it does not tell you which triad inversion (Root in bass, 3rd in bass or 5th in bass) to use!

...I just gave you two "different" examples for playing C/B...the "open" string version at nut is 5th-in-bass, e.g.: 5, R, 3; while the original example at fret 3 is the Root-in-bass, e.g.: R, 3, 5....

NOTE: remember we're talking "inversion" here where "bass" note is simply the "lowest" note in the chord, not referring to the "bass" note after the "slash".

...that's TWO of the THREE possible inversions. Here's the last (and usually BEST) inversion (fret 8):



...notice how the ROOT note on D4-string "descends" from "C" to "A", folds over onto A5-string descending from Ab down to E, then folds over onto E6-string descending from Eb back to C, or in other words:

..C = R
..B = M7
Bb = d7
..A = 6
Ab = +5
..G = 5
Gb = -5
..F = 4
..E = 3
Eb = +2/m3
.D = 2
Db = -2

...like I said, some combinations will sound GOOD, others won't...remember the GOOD sounding combintations (you'll see them again expressed as chords having "different" names!)

So that I'm clear, Eo, Bo and Go means no fretting required, just strum the strings open as in second version C/B, yes?

I tried the C triad at the 3rd fret and I have to say, adding the fourth notes on A5 and E6 is a stretch for me so I'm thinking these are more 'expert' chords and usages.

I understand the fret 8 inversion (got it now that inversion we're talking bass lowest note, not the note after the slash) and I tried that for a few of the degrees shown in the diagram.  Yes, some sound good, some don't. Another very useful lesson OTM.

Oh, are these notes taken from the third C/B diagram

..C = R
..B = M7
Bb = d7
..A = 6
Ab = +5
..G = 5
Gb = -5
..F = 4
..E = 3
Eb = +2/m3
.D = 2
Db = -2

representative of some sort of scale or are you just showing the degrees and the possible 4th notes in bass for the 8th fret C triad? Thanks OTM..this is getting my brain working overtime and that's good at my age !

GuitarZen wrote:

So that I'm clear, Eo, Bo and Go means no fretting required, just strum the strings open as in second version C/B, yes?

...no, the small circles ( o ) are same as the circle/dots on my diagrams...an "open" string is at NUT; while a "fretted" string is at a fret position.

GuitarZen wrote:

I tried the C triad at the 3rd fret and I have to say, adding the fourth notes on A5 and E6 is a stretch for me so I'm thinking these are more 'expert' chords and usages.

...yes, some a "stretchers" but others are fairly common and eventually easy to "grab."

GuitarZen wrote:

...or are you just showing the degrees and the possible 4th notes in bass for the 8th fret C triad?

...you got it! Since each note is 'consecutive' they (per piano theory) represent a "chromatic" scale from octave-C down (or up, depending upon which direction you start from) to C. Obviously, the "redundant" notes (R, 3, 5) will sound OK, but so too will the M7, 7, 6, etc. to a lesser degree.

Two out of three isn't bad...ok,  now I have to show my ignorance.....am I all messed up when I don't know what is meant by 'Fret 0' ?  I've been thinking it was nut, fret 1, fret 2, fret 3, etc. .... where you said,

'at fret 0 is G, C, E ...or 5, R, 3  <---this example' and

...'a neat "exercise" is to repeat the above chords using the "open-string" C-chord triad at fret 0, e.g.:' 

I don't understand how Eo, B/0 and Go tell me which fret to place a finger behind plus I wasn't even aware of 'Fret O'....dang me !

...fret 0 = nut, thus Eo, B1, Go respectively mean: "open" E1-string; fret1 B2-string; and "open" G3-string.

P.S.--to see some of my other music ariticles, visit this website: http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/moneychord … earle.html

Thanks for not laughing...wouldn't have blamed you a bit though....I talked myself out of the answer. I'm clear on Eo, Go etc now, thank you OTM.

Oh, here as posted and in the 'Any C chord' lesson, the url you so kindaly left for me doesn't play. 'Thought as though you'd like to know.'

GuitarZen wrote:

Oh, here as posted and in the 'Any C chord' lesson, the url you so kindaly left for me doesn't play.

...hmmm, works for me; but here's the plain-text URL (you'll have to copy it into your browser, which should then take you to the MONEYCHORDS website.


http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/moneychord … earle.html

OTM, this is what I'm seeing as the url: http://www.angelfire.com/fl4/moneychord … earle.html

Is that what you're posting? It's still not working even when I try it in my browser...dunno...

...it works fine with my "old" Netscape 7.2, but that's not saying much.

...here's the URL address again, within parenthesis, and with "spaces" added after each "/" so as to "defeat" the automatic scripting functions of this websites' software; simply copy the text between the parenthesis into your browser and delete the four "blank" spaces within the text:

(  http:// www.angelfire.com/ fl4/ moneychords/ letterfrearle.html  )

...it should (hopefully) take you to the MONEYCHORD website and one of my jazz teaching articles, an example of the "...hold 2, move 2..." jazz chord concept applied to the old Nino Tempo & April Stevens song DEEP PURPLE.

Finally got it to show the "moneychords" page...thanks OTM...I see what the site was doing to the url here...hey, tricky with defeating the auto script functions...I din't think of that.

Interesting lesson at that site....I'll read everything there and try the "Deep Purple" chords....who our age doesn't remember that song...well, at least my age ! Hold two, move two..getting it. Thanks !