Slash Chords?

[punkrockguy318]

I know what a slash chord is.. Like F#/D would be a D chord with an F# in the bass.. But what if the chord is written like this?

Asus4
----
D

I don't know if that's an actual chord, but its an example. Is that another way of writing a slash chord? or something?

[Dax]

Originally posted by punkrockguy318
I know what a slash chord is.. Like F#/D would be a D chord with an F# in the bass.. But what if the chord is written like this?

Asus4
----
D

I don't know if that's an actual chord, but its an example. Is that another way of writing a slash chord? or something?

First off!! ::: F#/D would be an F# chord with a D as the bass, not the other way around.

Now, as for your question, I too have seen those chords, but only in a couple songs. Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell" being one of them.

I'll use one of these.

E5
--
A5



|--0--|-1st string
|--0--|
|--9--|
|--7--|
|--7--|
|--7--|-6th string




This is in drop D tuning. (The sixth string, low E, is dropped a while step to D)

The song also uses the "usual" G/D voicings, so it's not just a different way of writing it, there is something actually different with the chord.

However, I don't have enough theory knowledge to know exactly what that difference is. Can someone, based on the chord name and TAB, tell me why the chord was writtin like that, and why it's different than something like G/D? All I've done is just said that they are different, not why.

I've thought about the fact that it is, in fact, two root-fifths (power chords), put together, but then that doesn't make much sense because they are two A5 power chords. (The A and E on the bottom two stings...remember, it's in drop D. And the A and E on strings 4 and 3.)

In case you don't know, the way you count strings is that the high E, the one closest to the floor, is sting 1. The bottom E, the closest to the ceiling, is string 6.

Something else to consider is the fact that strings 1 and 2 are being strummed open. Is this why there is somehow an E5 being played in there with two A5 chords? Anybody know?

I don't know, it's an odd chord for sure.

[talldeke]

Two things:

First of all, sometimes a slash chord contain more than just the bass note of the lower chord (the fifth is the most likely).

Second, a slash chord can contian embelished chords and it doesn't change the principle of playing the chord and playing a note(s) in the bass.

For example a Asus4 chord is:
[code]
E|--0
B|--3
G|--2
D|--2
A|--0
E|--x

For an easy example, to make a Asus/E chord (not that Asus/D is not a legitamite chord) simple add and E to the bass so play.

E|--0
B|--3
G|--2
D|--2
A|--0
E|--0

[talldeke]

Now as far as Dax's chord goes. The notes in order (starting from the lowest(thickest)) string are A E A E B E. So yes, it essentially an A5 chord over an E5 chord as was suggested. (The notes in a A5 chord being A and E, and in an E5 chord an E and B, althought to technically be a "chord" it must contain three notes, whcih it does since the octave harmony counts as another note).

For more fun you could have also called this chord an Asus2 chord since it contains the 1st,2nd, and 5th notes of the A major scale, or even an Esus4/A chord or an Esus4 chord second inversion, or even a B chord built on fourths instead of thirds. The point is don't get too caught up in what a chord is called. Usually the way a chord is named is simply a function of how it behaves in the song, it will most likely be named in regardes to key center of the song.