JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Music Theory and Education Nashville Numbers System Part 2: Chords

Hi Teddie,

To begin with, there is no correct name for a chord, especially a chord larger than a triad, out of context. In your first question:

EADGBe
X24430
Am I suspending the 7th or adding the 5th?
What would you call this chord?

You show the strings on top, and the frets on the bottom...giving you B F# B D E, with the low E string muted...(what if I were a piano player! I'd have no idea what you meant ) Well, using B as the root, you'd have root, fifth, root, minor third, fourth. I'd call that a B minor add eleven. If E were the root, it would be: fifth, ninth, fifth, flat seventh, root. A garden variety E ninth without the third, or an E7 suspended 2.

and the other is:

EADGBe
X04430
Is this a dirivitive of the A chord or still a dirivitive of the Bm chord? What would you call this chord and explain to me how you reached your conclusion. thanks

From bottom to top, that is: A F# B D E

If A is the root you've got: root, sixth (13th), second (9th), fourth (11th), fifth. I'd call that an A thirteenth. If F# ia the root, it would be: third, root, flatted fifth, thirteenth, seventh...an F# thirteen flat five. If B is the root, it would be a Bm 11 (I'll let you figure it out). And if D is the root it would be a D6/9,,,the "love" chord.

As to which of these would be a good name, it depends on the key of the piece, the chord before or after, and whether some of these notes were simply "passing tones" in the piece.

Anyone else have some ideas on this?

Mike

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You have to practice improvisation. -Art Tatum

Mike Dunbar Music