Skip to content
What does G/B, C/G,...
 
Notifications
Clear all

What does G/B, C/G, ect... mean?

3 Posts
3 Users
0 Likes
17.1 K Views
(@aquaticape)
New Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1
Topic starter  

This question has probably already been answered but I could not figure out how to search past questions (Can't use chords). So how do you play the chord C/G when it is written over the lyrics? Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.


   
Quote
(@greybeard)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5840
 

The chord comes first, followed by a slash, followed by the note that is played in the bass position. So C/G means a C chord with a G (e.g. low E, fret 3 with a normal open C) in the bass.
The technical name for it is an inversion. The first inversion puts the 3rd degree (in a C chord - E) of the scale into the bass position and the second inversion puts the 5th into the bass (G in a C chord).

I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN


   
ReplyQuote
(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

Not to change anything Greybeard said, his explanation is excellent, but I think it helps to see what these chords are. Here is a G change to G/B, then C to C/G:
G G/B C C/G
e-3p-----3-----3-----3-----3-----0----0------0-----0-
b-0------0-----0-----0-----0-----1i---1------1-----1-
g-0------0-----0-----0-----0-----0----0------0-----0-
d-0--------------------------------------------------
a-2m--------------2-----2-----3r----3----------------
e—3r--3-----3-----------------------------3r----3----
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

In a lot of music you will hear a descending bass line. Listen to Something by the Beatles and you will hear several descending bass lines. And this is where you will see "slash" chords often.

Here is an example of a very common descending bass line you will hear often.


Descending bass line
C G/B Am G
e-----0------3-------0-------3-
b-----1------0-------1-------0-
g-----0------0-------2-------0-
d------------------------------
a--3-----2-------0-------------
e-------------------------3----

So, your chord progression is going C, G, Am, G, but they use the B note for the bass over the G chord to get the descending bass line. So when they want you to play a bass note other than the root note, they show it as a slash chord, in this case G/B.

I hope that didn't cause confusion.

Wes

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
ReplyQuote