chord name?

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andyhix

andyhix

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I was tabbing out one of our songs last night and was unsure what to call a particular chord. The part of the song is just a B5 (x244xx) on the 1, 2, 3 with a C added on the 4 beat (x344xx). This pattern cycles for a while. It's really just a sort of passing note, but I'm not sure what to call it. Powertab suggested a Cmaj7b5 ( I think) but I thought seemed a little excessive. I don't think that program allows you to tag on a bass note, either (i.e. B5/C) which would probably be the logical name. Thoughts?
 
C5majb9 ?

I'm probably wrong, but my approach is logical - it is a 'five' chord with a flattened ninth.
 
32-20-Blues said:
Wouldn't that normally be with a C#?
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This is going to be hard to label, because what it is, is the first thing you suspected, a B5/C.

Also, it's going to be hard to label correctly, because it's not really a chord, but more of a suspension. The notes of coarse are C, F#, and B, which could be reorganized to be lots of things in inversion, namely B C F# which is Bsus2 in inversion, but there are lots of choices...the function of the chord is clearly that of a suspension until you resolve it to the next chord which is probably the B5 again. So, it's best to label it as B5 over C, unless your program doesn't offer you that option, then I would name it Bsus2 somehow even though that's not exact either.

Of course what it really is, is the "mystic chord" for those of you with some theory knowledge....
 
taeyoung said:
Of course what it really is, is the "mystic chord" for those of you with some theory knowledge....
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The synthetic/promethean chord?
 
andyhix said:
I don't think that program allows you to tag on a bass note, either (i.e. B5/C) which would probably be the logical name. Thoughts?
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That's the chord, particularly if it is a passing chord. You COULD call it a C Dim/Maj7 or a C Maj7 flat 5, but it doesn't have a third, so it's not actually either of those.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
taeyoung said:
This is going to be hard to label, because what it is, is the first thing you suspected, a B5/C.

Also, it's going to be hard to label correctly, because it's not really a chord, but more of a suspension. The notes of coarse are C, F#, and B, which could be reorganized to be lots of things in inversion, namely B C F# which is Bsus2 in inversion, but there are lots of choices...the function of the chord is clearly that of a suspension until you resolve it to the next chord which is probably the B5 again. So, it's best to label it as B5 over C, unless your program doesn't offer you that option, then I would name it Bsus2 somehow even though that's not exact either.

Of course what it really is, is the "mystic chord" for those of you with some theory knowledge....
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Agreed.
The best thing is to call this chord B5/C.
You can even have Root(C), #4 or #11 (F#) and maj 7(B), and the "theory" could tell it´s a Cmaj7 (#11), but...
This is a more complex chord, which includes a major 3° (and I think your idea is that nobody will play this "bossa nova or jazz" chord on your song)...then, treat it only as a "passing chord", call it as "B5/C" is OK and the easiest way to people that will play the song at first sight reading (IMO).

Ciro
 
Wow, interesting answers. I appreciate the thoughts. As it turns out (now that I am back home, not at work) power tab DOES allow the addition of the bass note, so it was all an unneccesary question. It was staring me in the face the whole time last night as I worked on it, but never caught it. I guess that's what happens when you think about music in a place that you can't do anything about music. So, B5/C it is. Thanks.

Now....off to google to find out what the heck a "Mystic Chord" is.
 
andyhix said:
Now....off to google to find out what the heck a "Mystic Chord" is.
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Haha, well, I'll save you too much research...it is a chord invented by Scriabin in the late 1800's. He used it in most of his compositions as his "signature" and it has quite a unique noticible sound. Actually, if you want to check out a real good example, listen to his etude in Db minor...the end is a huge arpeggio of the mystic chord...quite impressive sounding.
 
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