Slash Chords.

KardzGypz

Hello guys,

First of all, I don't mean Slash, the guitarist, I mean Slash Chords, example : Am/C of G/B.
I see that they are very popular in Gypsy Jazz.
I would like to know if you guys could document me with a source of the most common shapes used for Django's music regarding those chords ?

Thanks in advance, and thanks for this wonderful forum !

Joli Gadjo

I doubt Slash plays slash chords anyways...

I am tempted to tell you to ignore those chords, and let the bass player take care of it.
Nonetheless, if there is one shape you want to pay attention to, it is probably the G/B = that is the same shape of an Em7 (7x578x). If you move your fingers just a bit that is a good shape play Em9 = GMaj7/B (x7577x and 7x577x).
In any case, it's good to know 3/4 different shapes of the same chord and test them in your tunes. Using one or another will bring a different feel.

KardzGypz

Hello and thanks for your answer Joli Gadjo.
Since I'm working out mostly as a duet, with only a Rhythm guitarist, I'm interested in "Full chords" in order to have the bass too.
I already knew that shape from Djangology, but in the Stochelo's "handling" of Indifference, there is Am/C written as a chord, and I would like to know a "Minor" way of doing slash chords.
What I tried to build resulted in :

8X79TX

I figured out that AM chord is ACE triad.
Since they ask /C it means C bass.
So I just added the 7 fret note which is A
the 9 fret note which is E
And I doubled the 10 fret note which is the octave of A.

Would that be right ?

Joli Gadjo

That is correct, this is another great sub for Am6.

KardzGypz

What do you mean for M6 ?
How is it a M6 ?
If we are talking about Am6, there is the 6th missing.
If we're talking about Cm6, there is the minor 3rd missing.

Excuse my ignorance, I'm not really good at all in theory, please lighten me .

Joli Gadjo

Sorry I took your T for a 7.
You can do (8)x7978 to get the m6 then. Otherwise it was indeed only "plain" minor 8x79xx.

Jazzaferri

In your example Am/C when played will sound a C6

Notes of Am A C E. 1st inversion is C E A

Notes of C 6 (without the 5) C E A

Slash chords are often used to indicate how the writer wants the bass line to move.

hanear21

I have difficulty with slash chords as well. I've been considering michael's gypsy rhythm for a while does he spend much time on slash chords?

MichaelHorowitz

hanear21 wrote:

I have difficulty with slash chords as well. I've been considering michael's gypsy rhythm for a while does he spend much time on slash chords?

Yes, the Gypsy Rhythm book has an exhaustive chord dictionary with loads of inversions (i.e. slash chords) using the voicings that Django and all the Gypsy players use.

Theoretically there's not much to slash chords as they are just inversions. The slash is just telling you what bass note to play.

Thanks!

'm

Jazzaferri

Levine defines slash chordss as a triad over a bass note

There are two groups ...those that are inversions of chords And those that are alternate ways of writing a chord name

To go through all the chords over a C bass note except C/C which is silly. Form is triad/bass note

Db/C is 3rd inversion Dbmaj7 (maj 7 as root)

D/C is Cmaj#4 aka Lydian chord

Eb/C is Cmin7 and would only be used in showing desired bass line

E/C is Cmaj#5

F/C is 2nd inversion F major triad

Gb/C sounds like C7b9 but has no third

G/C is hardly ever seen as it is a thirdless Cmaj9

Ab/C is abmaj with the root as a doubled third of the chord usually used in moving bass without the doubled third od the triad

A/C is Amin with the root as a doubled third third of the chord etc as above

Bb/C is Csus

B/C is an easier way to write Cmaj#4#9

Hope this is of some help.

Michael's book is a great source of "gypsy voicings" of slash chords.

Jazzaferri

Woops cant edit Gb/C C7b5b9 sounds like c7b9 etc. but with an edge