23.2 · Inversions

Slash chords

Chord charts write inversions with a slash: C/E means play a C chord, but put E at the bottom. The chord before the slash, the bass note after it. Change nothing but the bass note and the same chord leans differently.

Same chord, three bass notes

One C major triad up top; only the bass note moves: root, then third, then fifth.

Why bother: the walking bass

The whole point of slash chords is a bass line that moves on its own. Here the bass walks straight down, C B A G F, while plain C, G, Am, F chords ride above. G/B and Am/G are the two slashes doing the smoothing.

Without the slashes the bass would leap C, G, A, G, F. With them it glides one step at a time. You've heard this walk under a hundred ballads.

Quiz

1 / 3

C/E means…

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson. A perfect run sticks: a later miss never undoes it.Voice leading →