Working on a new song at the moment - well, actually, old lyrics but with new chords put to them.
The song's pretty much in the key of G, as far as I can tell....with a kind of coda at the end. Originally, I was using G F and C chords....then I decided to use this voicing of G.....320033 and changed the C to a Cadd9....x32033....so the F chord between them ended up being played as 1x3233.
I've got it provisionally tagged as an F6/9 - even though there's no 5th - because, well it just seemed to fit, in context with the other two chords. I was originally playing just xx3233 (I wanted the top two strings to stay the same) and playing the F on the D string as the bass, but it sounded a little weedy, so I tried it with the F on the bottom E string, sounds more full.
I should add, it's a fingerpicked riff, if that helps, so the bassline is G - F - C, which again would point to an F-something-or-other chord.
I couldn't help noticing, though, that the notes I'm playing - F x F A D G - would seem to make more sense ordered D F A G, then it'd be (I think!) a Dm(add11) chord - but that doesn't sound right to me, given the context, and especially with the F in the bass. But the F6/9 doesn't look right either without the fifth!
Any ideas?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
For harmony, you are absolutely correct that context means a lot. There are an amazing number of ways to name any collection of notes as chords, and when you start using implied notes, the number of names grows really fast.
You could name your chord a Bb Maj6 too. Or an EbMaj9(b5), or (my favorite) Fbm11(#5,b9). Or any number of other names.
And implied notes are just fine.
You need one of the root or the fifth, usually (but not always!)
You need one of the third or the seventh, usually (but not always!)
You need extensions, additions and altered tones, usually (but not always!)
F x F A D G
in F would be:
F (1), G (2/9), A(3), D(6)
That looks like a F6/9 to me!
But it could still be an F6/9 if you just played just x x x 2 3 3.
And if you put an F6/9 in the score and someone decides to play it F x x A x x, they wouldn't be wrong.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
