what does this mean? D/Ab

One more thing about the D/F#, just so we don't get confused - it's not a D+11 chord; it's missing the neccesary b7. If you wanted to write it as a chord form, it would be Dadd+11 (or #11 if you prefer)

I thought an F# in a D chord was the 3. Either I'm losing my marbles, or you've made a typo there. Assuming you meant the D/G#, how would you know to play the G# as a bass note written as Dadd+11?

Kirk

Sorry, Kirk, that was a typo - I meant D/G#.

My point about the chord forms was that if it's written Dadd#11, you have your choice of voicings - if it's written D/G# your options are more limited.

My comment about slash chords being limiting has another dimension too... if I see Dadd#11 on a chart, I sort of know where that chord is going to go - it's usually a substitution for a dominant chord, and it's probably moving a fourth higher to a G-root chord. Bassed on that, I might make a substitution to something like E13... you've got the 3rd, b7, 9, and 11 represented in the Dadd#11, so E13 is a logical extension.

If I see the exact same chord noted D/G#, I have to stop and think about it:

what's the G# to D?... the #4, so that's #11... so that's Dadd#11... so I can use E13....

but by the time I've done that, the chord has already changed!

Also, I think some songwriters over-notate their music. If it's really just a moving bass line, why note it at all? The harmony is still D major, and the walking bass line probably isn't essential.

Just my two cents worth, anyway.

Tom

augmented bass note?!??!?!?!?!?!!?

how can a bass note be augmented?

you have a chord.. the bass note is one note of that chord that is the lowest sounding.. augmentation has nothing to do with it..

****

you need to be more specific with chord naming..

"D" is not "the chord" because there are so many types of chords you cant say a letter and "chord" and expect people to know what it is..

could be D major/minor/aug/dim/dom7/half-dim,6th/9th etc etc..

when you say a name like D chord people take it as major.. its a default thing.. its the only way people know what chord your talking about without saying what it is..

seing as this is a diminished chord.. "D is the chord", basically says D major with Ab being the 'augmented' bass note.

its D diminished, with Ab as the bass note.

diminished chords have diminished intervals (not augmented).

Sorry poor choice of words, my command of the english language seems to be better than that of the musical language. Come to think of it I probably don't have a very good command of either. I'll try to keep my mouth shut.