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Chord Name...

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(@qrious)
Trusted Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 61
Topic starter  

Where can I find a good tutorial on identifying chords and chords names?

For example, what would you call an A6 chord move up to start on the B string as opposed to the low E string? Same form and fretting except your index finger is now on the B string 5th fret instead of the 6th string 5th fret, middle finger is now on the 3rd string 6th fret instead of the 2nd string 6th fret, etc.

If someone can tell me what that chord is, I'd appreciate it. I'm kind of curious as I sit here at work and can't necessarily wait until I get home.

When you've done all you can to practice...practice some more.


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

There won't be a standard answer for how the chord changes, because it's going to depend on which note is on the third string originally. All the other notes are going to move by a fourth (So A becomes D, etc), but the note originally on the third string is going to move up a third (A becomes C#).

You don't say which fingering you're using for the A6 chord... and I really can't guess at it, since you say you're moving from the second string sixth fret (the F note), which isn't in an A6 chord - A6 has F# (the 7th fret of the 2nd string).

At any rate, you need to be able to identify the chord notes. If you're playing this:

5
7
6
x
7
x

the notes are (1st string down) A, F#, C#, E. Arrange them in order and it's A-C#-E-F#, the 1-3-5-6 of the A major scale, which makes an A6 chord.

Moving the fingers gives you this:

x
5
7
6
x
7

which is E-D-G#-B... or E-G#-B-D, which is 1-3-5-b7 in the E major scale, for an E7 chord.

Different fingerings give different results - if your A6 was originally fingered like this:

5
5
6
4
x
x

the order of notes is A-E-C#-F#, still an A6 (A-C#-E-F#), but moving it down a string gives you this:

x
5
5
6
4
x

which is E-C-G#-C#... which is either C#-E-G#-B#, (1-b3-5-7, C#m/maj7) or the more awkward C-E-G#-Db (1-3-#5-b9, or C+b9).

The key in naming a chord is to figure out what the notes are - then you relate them to the root note's scale, and from the notes you figure out what the chord is. Many chords can have more than one name - A6 has the same notes as F#m7 - so you look to see how the root motion makes sense to choose the name. That would be the deciding factor in whether the above chord is C#m/maj7 or C+b9.

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(@qrious)
Trusted Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 61
Topic starter  

My guess was also an E7. I was looking at one of these online chord finders, and it didn't show it as an E7.

That's why I was also asking if anyone knew of a good tutorial, book, etc. that would be helpful in improving this skill.

Thanks Noteboat!!

When you've done all you can to practice...practice some more.


   
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(@crazy-dave-miller)
Eminent Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 18
 

The "trick" to naming chords is finding the root and then identifying the rest of the notes as they relate to the root. For some reason, people physologically are attuned to the lowest note played, which makes finding the root difficult when a chord is inverted. For example, if you want to play a chord on the first three strings in a variation of the open-D style chord fingering in the fourth position, your notes are B (3rd string 4th fret) E (2nd string 5th fret) and G#/Ab (1st string 4th fret). This is still an E major chord (E-B-G#), but B (the fifth) is the bass note, E is the second lowest, and G# (the third) is on top. This is what we call the "second inversion," the first inversion being having the third in the bass. I suggest that if you're playing around with chords and trying to find names for them that you look at what notes you have and try to figure out a first-major/minor third-fifth/diminished fifth/augmented fifth relationship between them and then ascertain what roles the other notes have in conjunction with the root. Also, try getting an ear for what certain voicings of chords sound like as it will help you figure out what type of chord you are playing faster.

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(@qrious)
Trusted Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 61
Topic starter  

Thanks!!

When you've done all you can to practice...practice some more.


   
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