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Thread: Help with slash chords

  1. #1

    Default Help with slash chords

    I'm a beginner mandolin player. I've been playing guitar for a while and am a sidewalk player at best.

    A friend has some originals I'd like to learn to play with her. There are several chords such as D/Cm (also heard this called D over C minor) etc. that I cannot find with a web search.

    Can anyone point me to a resource? Or be willing to help me out with proper fingering?

    Thanks in advance for any assistance.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    Usually a slash chord will tell you what note is in the bass, for example on guitar you may know D/F#: Click image for larger version. 

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    If there is a chord after the slash (which is not standard because it is very confusing), it's usually two chords in quick succession.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    Thanks. I'm looking for how to fret these on a mando. She plays guitar and does not play two chords in quick succession on these songs, it's a different bass note as you pointed out.
    Last edited by Captain Vic; Aug-20-2021 at 6:40pm.

  4. #4
    Registered User John Kelly's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    With D/Cm you might try playing the D note followed by an Eb (the minor 3rd of the Cm chord) then on to perhaps and E or whatever the next chord might suggest, so that you are playing a rising bass line - a half tone from the D up to the Eb then whatever would come next suggested by the next chord. I am not aware of chords being written using the slash, but generally take slash chords as described by Onswah above. Hope this might help you.
    I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order. - Eric Morecambe

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  5. #5
    Registered User Dave Hicks's Avatar
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    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    Could that be Dm/C? Cm is a whole chord, not just a bass note. Dm/C might make sense as a walk down to Dm/B, then to Am.

    D.H.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    The mando is not a guitar so slash chords may or may not work, you'll have to experiment and decide what you like, the guitar is probably picking up the D so just play the Cm and see if you like it.
    Northfield F5M #268, AT02 #7

  7. #7

    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    Thank you very much everyone. I may just have to find something that works with her help. She is a much more accomplished musician than I.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Help with slash chords

    As onswah said, the slash convention indicates what chord to play before the slash and what bass note to play after the slash. So D/Cm doesn’t make sense since there is no Cm note. Individual notes are natural, flat or sharp rather than major or minor.

    Just a guess, but if we reverse the notation, Cm/D makes sense. In that case the chord is Cm and the indicated bass note is a D. Cm can be played 5568. 7568 adds a D.

    It may not be necessary for the mandolin accompaniment to play the indicated bass notes at all. A good starting point is to learn the chords and not worry about the indicated bass notes. The guitar can take care of that if it is important to the sound.

    Good luck!
    Pava S/N 21
    Calace Bowlback

  9. #9

    Default Re: Help with slash chords


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