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Hi all:

Can anyone tell me how to play the following Chord notation?:

F/G

I thought found the answer, but! F/G is played using G as the Bass note on a F major chord. If the G is attached to the F major chord, it becomes GFAC---and what is that?? Any thoughts?

Hello GPA. In the F/G slash chord, the G bass note is played with the left hand and the F chord is played with the right. The first letter is the treble, the second is the bass.

Often that G in the bass is part of a bass line that the notater is creating, so it's really a movement rather than part of the chord. See if the bottom notes before and after the G are A and F# or other notes that might make a nice run or counter melody. Or you can pretend it's an inversion of an F9 chord Except F9's typically include an Eb (an F7) Oh, never mind.

But the bottom note in a slash chord - the G here - is often part of a walking bass or a movement of some kind.

Cathy

BTW - F/G is a common GSus chord shortcut notation

You actually play it with the F in an inversion.

G C F A

You recognize a Sus because the bass note is a step up (G) from the root of the top chord (F). Notice the Sus4 between G and C.

Cool, jazzwee - I learn something new every day!

Cathy

I'll teach you Jazz yet

You're correct in the bass movement if you see that the bass is moving chromatically or stepwise.

Otherwise there are other meanings. For example:

D7/F# = D7
Gm7/E = C7
Dm7/F = Dm7

These examples suggest just rootless voicings. I know because the bass note is a 3rd or a 7th of the chord.

Tricky huh?

I think full understanding comes when you really know each chord tone and extension. It took me many years to understand this.

It's G11. The F, A, C, are b7, 9, and 11 of G major.

GPA...see my response in your fake-book thread!

Ingrid

PATRICK

Thanks, Patrick for confirming the slash configuration.

Great input Cathy!

I can't find the tune I was alluding to, but I do remember that theF/G led to a C7, which is consistent with your analysis.The G seems to have a forceful resolution effect.

If it weren't for other complexities in the melody line it might have been written F7 G7 C7-this seems to resolve, but doesn't follow the circle exactly.

Jazzwee---Cool insight---you guys are really helping me get off the fround here!

Studio Joe---I dig it!!! Thanks a bundle

Studio Joe-Another comment on the F/G as being a G11.
Thats why it resolves so nicely to the next chord, which is a C7!!!

Glad to help, and that it works in the context of the song.

Whoever came up with this notation could have been more creative by interpreting it from left to right, so G/F to mean G on the left and an F chord on the right. No I'm not gonna also go on and criticize the whole bass and treble clef notation as being a little dumb.... I won't go that far.

I started with hand written charts. The F would be on top with a horizontal line under it and the G on the bottom. With the advent of typing and texting it made sense to enter it the way you type a fraction (F/G).

A fraction with a horizontal line would make perfect sense! G | F, or G:F would also work.

The reason the notation came up is to indicate a "Voicing Choice". It's much more specific than stating a fixed chord.

So often when the publisher wants to define a particular sound, it is often clearer to do slash chords (kind of a LH/RH instruction).

Unfortunately as I implied earlier, it's not used all that consistently so sometimes some higher-end knowledge of voicings becomes necessary.

For example, Joe is correct that literally it could suggest G11. But Jazz people look at an F/G and by voicing convention will voice it as GSus7 which moves into G7. But this same chord is also notated as Dm7/G which shows even more clearly that it resolves into G7. This progression is used to delay getting to the Dominant chord.

Will the typical reader know this? Probably not... But since the reference is to a Jazz Lead sheet, then you'll have to be aware of Jazz conventions.

The OP said nothing about it being a jazz lead sheet. If you check his profile, jazz is not listed in the type of music he likes.

Lead sheets are used for popular music too.