Slash Chords and Changes

Slash chords change the bass note of a chord which we hear often as beautiful descending bass lines in countless songs (like Song Bird by Oasis or Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen)

Main Learning Points:

See lesson clip below for visual help!

• G/F#: G major chord with F# bass note with index finger - muting string five

• G/B: lift the index finger off the G, the B on string five becomes the bass note

• C/B: put middle finger on 2nd fret of string five - muting string four

• D/F#: thumb or finger on 2nd fret of string six (rather than string 4 open D bass note)

Songs:

• Songbird & More Than Words with G-based slash chords

• Hallelujah, Landslide &Wherever You Will Go with C/B movement

• Thinking Out Loud & Highway to Hell with D/F#

Understanding bass notes is how we start working out songs by ear. The lowest pitch you hear often tells you more about what's happening harmonically than the higher notes (melody notes)