What chord is this?

Louddog

Louddog

Member
I play with a guy that uses this chord alot. I know it is probably a partial chord, but what do you guys think the voicing is? I use this,obviously, when we do drop d tunning, but this is standard tuning. He uses this when he pedals off the Low E, and moves it up and down the fretboard. I think he wants this to sound like a G, but I say its more a C. I really just think it sounds bad, but I'd like to explain to him why.

Doug
 

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Um, is it just those 2 notes? No open strings are played?

According to PowerTab's "Chord Tool" it's a C5/G. And yes, it does sound terrible. I'd tell him to stop playing this chord.

If you turn it into a C/G chord though, it sounds really good. I use this one in a lot of my songs instead of the standard C chord.

cg_chord.gif
 
i dont think it sounds all bad...but its not great. One of the first songs ive ever written used that chord...haha.
 
if he's only playing the 2 notes, in c it's the root with an inverted 5th. In g it's the root with a 4th. There's no reason the 2 strings should sound bad. If he's playing it with open strings it will just sound slightly dissonant, but not too bad especially if played in the right situation. Neither are things you would want to "play all the time" though.
 
Dani Pace said:
It sounds bad because it's in the wrong key. It is a B minor.
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After some pencilwork, I think this is accurate - if all the open notes are played, the B and the D would make up the root and minor third of a B minor chord, and then a couple other notes are from the Bm key (G), but that C wouldn't fit in the Bm key at all. I usually do voice my C major chord with that G though, in the event that the low-E gets struck (so it at least still "sounds" major, verses striking C major w/ that low E in there :eek:).
 
Phosphene said:
this is correct. the inverted 5th Barre chords always sound pretty meaty to me, but like others said, if overused , it can get redundant.
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The chord is a lousy voicing of CM7(add 9)

Working from the 6th string to the 1st

G(5th) C(root) D( 2nd 0r 9th) G(5th) B(maj 7) E(3rd)

The cord can be viewed in other ways

G6(11) forinstance. The actual name would gepend on the context in which it is used.
While it is a louzy voicing in most cases where the three chourd wonder is working there are situations using advanced harmonic structures where it may be useful as passing chord.
 
Louddog said:
He uses this when he pedals off the Low E, and moves it up and down the fretboard. I think he wants this to sound like a G, but I say its more a C. I really just think it sounds bad, but I'd like to explain to him why.

Doug
Click to expand...
If he is using an E note as a pedal tone with the G and C, then it would be
a C major.At least it sounds that way to me.
 
I'm not sure you could really consider 2 notes to be a true chord. In any case, those 2 notes would be considered a C5 or a Gsus4 no5
 
It can sound really thick and heavy if you add the octave:

e|---|
B|---|
G|-5-|
D|-5-|
A|-3-|
E|-3-|
 
Yes it's an inverted power chord as others have said: C5/G (read "C5 over G")

It shouldn't sound bad, as long as the guitar is in tune. A lot of players use these type of dyads to create some great rock/metal riffs. Eddie used this shape (not the C5/G, but an inverted power chord nonetheless) in the "Panama" riff, right before the vocal enters (not the intro riff, but the "interlude" riff that happens each time before the verse).

You can alternate this 4th shape with a standard 5th power chord and get some interesting riffs.
 
Henry Mars said:
The chord is a lousy voicing of CM7(add 9)

Working from the 6th string to the 1st

G(5th) C(root) D( 2nd 0r 9th) G(5th) B(maj 7) E(3rd)

The cord can be viewed in other ways

G6(11) forinstance. The actual name would gepend on the context in which it is used.
While it is a louzy voicing in most cases where the three chourd wonder is working there are situations using advanced harmonic structures where it may be useful as passing chord.
Click to expand...

Every chord has (at least) as many names as there are notes in it.
 
Henry Mars said:
The chord is a lousy voicing of CM7(add 9)

Working from the 6th string to the 1st

G(5th) C(root) D( 2nd 0r 9th) G(5th) B(maj 7) E(3rd)

The cord can be viewed in other ways

G6(11) forinstance. The actual name would gepend on the context in which it is used.
While it is a louzy voicing in most cases where the three chourd wonder is working there are situations using advanced harmonic structures where it may be useful as passing chord.
Click to expand...

As has been pointed out already, he was only referring to the 2 fretted notes and not the open strings, but I just thought I'd point out one thing in reference to your post.

The chord would be a Cmaj9, not a Cmaj7(add 9).

Cmaj9 implies that you have a 7th. You use "add 9" when there's no 7th.
 
ggunn said:
Every chord has (at least) as many names as there are notes in it.
Click to expand...

I don't even know if this can be called true in the strictest sense, but it's hardly true in the practical sense.

If you ask 100 musicians what chord C-E-G is, they're all going to tell you "C major" (or just "C") if they know any theory at all.
 
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