Slash Chord / Upper Structure Chart #1 - Triad Over Root

[DaNatiMaestro]

If T-Block doesn't mind and I hope he won't.  I'd like to piggy back off of his chord and scale charts which are EXCELLENT and should be printed out IMMEDIATELY and carried with you at all times.

There is another chart / formula that I use A LOT that helps me to remember and create chords on the fly.  The kicker to using this chart is that you have to know your basic triads (3 note chords) and your 7th chords (Major, Minor, m7b5, etc.).  I believe this chart would be for the intermediate.  Beginners could probably grasp it but they would need to know their notes and intervals and stuff.

What this Slash Chord / Upper Structure chart is another way to create chords by giving you the chords or notes you need to play in your LH/RH to create the overall chord that you're trying to create for instance..

Simple Examples  (Triad over root) - this means that you will play a triad (3 note chord) in the RH and 1 or 2 bass notes in your LH to create an overall chord / harmony

C/C = C   <---- you'd read this as C triad over a C in the bass or LH
MEANING: to create a simple C chord you'd play C-E-G (C triad) in your RH and C in your LH to create a C chord

Em/C = Cmaj7    <----- you'd read this as E minor triad over a C in the bass or LH
MEANING: to create a C major 7th chord you'd play E-G-B (E minor triad) in your RH and C in your LH to create a Cmaj7 chord

G/C = Cmaj9 (no 3rd)     <----- you'd read this as G triad over a C in the bass or LH
MEANING: to create a C major 9th chord with no 3rd you'd play G-B-D (G triad) in your RH and C in your LH to create Cmaj9 (no 3rd)

The triad or 7th chord you play in your right hand can be played in any inversion.  It's up to you and how the chords will flow with the melody or what you're trying to do with the music.

I hope that I explained this well.  If not, please don't hesitate to post a question or let me know if you don't understand this or not.  This chart is to help you quickly identify and play a chord which helps when you have to modulate to a difficult key or a song is in a key you don't know that well. 

BIG DISCLAIMER = This chord should not be a substitute for learning the basics and the charts that T-Block provided because to be honest with you, you can't really use the chart I'm about to provide if you don't know how to form ALL of your basic triads or 7th chords in every key!  So you gotta bet your basics first then you can really explore and use this chart here to quickly play and identify chords.

Big shout out to SMOOTH JAZZ PIANO by Mark Harrison and THE JAZZ PIANO BOOK by Mark Levine (Both are excellent books!!)

TRIAD OVER ROOT - Chord Voicings

C / C = C

Em / C = Cmaj7
note: another way to think about this one is to play a minor triad off the 3rd in your RH and the root in your LH

G / C = Cmaj9(no 3rd)
note: another way to think about this one is to play a major triad off the 5th in your RH and the root in your LH

Cm / C = Cm

Eb / C  = Cm7     <-- (Remember this means Eb triad over C in the bass)
note: another way to think about this one is to play a major triad off the minor (or flat) 3rd in your RH and the root in your LH

F / G = G9sus4 or G11  (I'm starting to use sus chords A LOT now.  You hear them all the time too..LOL)
note: another way to think about this one to to play a major triad off the minor (or flat) 7th in your RH and the root in your LH

Fm / D = Dm7b5
note: another way to think about this one is to play a minor triad off the minor 3rd in your RH and then the root on the bottom
Samples: Em7b5 = Gm / D; Am7b5 = Cm / A; Abm7b5 = Bm / Ab

Abm / G7 = G7 (b9 #5)   <--- this one spelled out is GF/BEbAb  (I use this chord A LOT)
note: in your LH you will need to add a minor (or flat) 7th to the root and then add your triad in your RH.
note: another way to think about this one to to play a minor triad off the b9 in your RH and then the root and minor (or flat) 7th in your LH
Sample: Eb7 (b9 #5) = Em / Eb7, spelled out is EbDb/GBE

These are just the triad over root formulas there are 7th chord over root and then triad over tritone formulas as well.  But I'll just stop here because I want to make sure that this makes sense and is clear to everyone before I go into the real advance stuff.

So please let me know if this makes sense and is helpful.  If this has been posted before my apologizes on that too.  I try to post fresh info on here!

Thanks,
D

[Fenix]

This...is...FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am an intermediate player and pretty much understand everything. Thanks.

One request, Can you please do a tutorial on the 7-3-6 progression and it's applications? What i want to know in particular is what kinds of chords can i use with this progression. From what i have seen, the 7 is never played as a diminished but rather as a minor, the 3 is usually some sort of altered dom7, and the 6 is not played as a minor either.

Thanks.

[sjonathan02]

I likes, DaNati!

[musallio]

Yummy...very scrumptious..
Thanks DNM

Hey guys, to visualize other chords as on the board (like I was way back ), you can download most of the chords in all keys from the chord chart section of THIS site.

[T-Block]

If T-Block doesn't mind and I hope he won't.  I'd like to piggy back off of his chord and scale charts which are EXCELLENT and should be printed out IMMEDIATELY and carried with you at all times.

Man, I don't mind at all.  I'm still learning as well so u may teach me a thing or 2, LOL.   

From what i have seen, the 7 is never played as a diminished but rather as a minor, the 3 is usually some sort of altered dom7, and the 6 is not played as a minor either.

Now, that's where you're mistaken man.  7 is played more as a diminished chord than anything.  The RH plays a minor chord, but with both hands together they form a diminished type chord.  Also, the 6 is played minorish.  Just like with the 7, both hands together will usually give u a minor 7th chord.  I understand where u coming from though.

[Fenix]

Now, that's where you're mistaken man.  7 is played more as a diminished chord than anything.  The RH plays a minor chord, but with both hands together they form a diminished type chord.  Also, the 6 is played minorish.  Just like with the 7, both hands together will usually give u a minor 7th chord.  I understand where u coming from though.

Well i'm slightly confused cuz Jermaine Griggs played the 7-3-6 in Db as a Cmin11, F7#9#5, and the Bb13. I thought that was how it was to be played cuz it doesn't sound right when i use the dim, minor and minor. I don't get that "gospel" sound.

[T-Block]

Well i'm slightly confused cuz Jermaine Griggs played the 7-3-6 in Db as a Cmin11, F7#9#5, and the Bb13. I thought that was how it was to be played cuz it doesn't sound right when i use the dim, minor and minor. I don't get that "gospel" sound.

That's just one way to play that 7.  It's most commonly played as a dim. type chord.  That Cm11 is a color chord that should be used every now and then in that way.  I wouldn't use that as a main chord.  Take this using the same example:

C / Bb-Eb-Gb          *Cm7 (b5) = C half-diminished chord
F / A-Db-Eb-Ab       *F7 #5/#9
Bb / Ab-C-Eb          *Ab/Bb

As opposed to the way Jermaine plays it. He may play it something like this:

C / G-Bb-D-F         *Cm11 (no 3rd)
F / A-Db-Eb-Ab      *F7 #5/#9
Bb / Ab-D-G-Bb      *Bb13


The chords I have are what you will normally here a 7 played like.  The 2nd set is usually used as a nice variation.

[musallio]

That's just one way to play that 7.  It's most commonly played as a dim. type chord.  That Cm11 is a color chord that should be used every now and then in that way.  I wouldn't use that as a main chord.  Take this using the same example:

C / Bb-Eb-Gb          *Cm7 (b5) = C half-diminished chord
F / A-Db-Eb-Ab       *F7 #5/#9
Bb / Ab-C-Eb          *Ab/Bb

As opposed to the way Jermaine plays it. He may play it something like this:

C / G-Bb-D-F         *Cm11 (no 3rd)
F / A-Db-Eb-Ab      *F7 #5/#9
Bb / Ab-D-G-Bb      *Bb13


The chords I have are what you will normally here a 7 played like.  The 2nd set is usually used as a nice variation.

Agreemento!!
That's ( method 1) what I do 99% of the time..
I'm still trying to familiarize myself with JG's variation..

[poundsterling1]

this is gr8. nyc one :-)

[4hisglory]

Nice post from the past