Naming chords

W

WolfandWeather

New member
I'm working on a couple of songs at the moment in DADGAD tuning and I've decided to keep track of the chord progressions, melodies, and arrangements by writing everything down in a book. The problem is, I'm using a lot of chords with only 2 fretted notes and then playing the rest of the strings open to give a drone sound. How do I write these chords?

For example, how would I write this decending riff:
10-9-0-0-0-0 / 9-12-0-0-0-0 / 8-5-0-0-0-0
Would it be C(b5), Bm7#5, Gmadd2 or is that an overcomplication?

How about this one:
5-5-0-x-x-x
3-5-0-x-x-x
2-3-0-x-x-x

Thanks!
 
Guess it depends on who you're writing for. If it were for me I wouldn't have a clue what those names meant, although I'm very familiar with the more common chords (maj, min, 7th). :) I like what the guitar sites do, they just show you a reference chart for the less common chords and then use their names in the music below.
 
Best to write them as you have them, rather than calling them something/anything which you may not be able to interpret later.
 
Here's what I would call them:

10-9-0-0-0-0 = D11/C
9-12-0-0-0-0 = Gadd9/B
8-5-0-0-0-0 = Gm(add9)

(Assuming I'm understanding these next three correctly, in which each line is string 6 to string 1, left to right)
5-5-0-x-x-x = G5
3-5-0-x-x-x = Dm/F
2-3-0-x-x-x = Cadd9
 
Thanks for figuring those out! The issue I'm having though is that the main melody of the song follows the descending pattern on the low D string so I'd naturally want to see those low notes as the root of each chord.

So in the first example, those chords could well be called D11/C, Gadd9/B etc but it makes more sense to me to call them C something, B something etc. I just can't quite figure out what the somethings should be!

Would it be wrong to name the chords based solely on the two fretted notes and omit the open notes? So for the second example it might be G5, F6, E(#5). That would be simpler but I guess not 100% accurate.
 
If you put a reference at the top of your sheet, give them the names like beagle stated, then you could just reference their names in the music to keep if from being crowded and still have your reference if needed later on. I can't always remember what I played, I do a lot fo what you are doing.
 
Yeah I'll include diagrams as well somewhere so I can remember how I play each chord. But I do also need to write a name that clearly indicates the root note and the tonality so that when I'm composing additional parts, I'll know what to play. Beagle's chord names are probably technically correct given the notes being played but aren't totally suitable in the context of the song because the root notes don't follow the actual melody. If that makes sense?
 
WolfandWeather said:
Thanks for figuring those out! The issue I'm having though is that the main melody of the song follows the descending pattern on the low D string so I'd naturally want to see those low notes as the root of each chord.

So in the first example, those chords could well be called D11/C, Gadd9/B etc but it makes more sense to me to call them C something, B something etc. I just can't quite figure out what the somethings should be!

Would it be wrong to name the chords based solely on the two fretted notes and omit the open notes? So for the second example it might be G5, F6, E(#5). That would be simpler but I guess not 100% accurate.
Click to expand...

Sure you could do that if you wanted (name the chords based off the root being the lowest note). The problem with that (IMHO), though, is that sometimes that's just not how music works. For example, a common occurrence is to have a I chord and then move to a I chord in first inversion (with the 3rd in the bass). So in the key of G, you'd have a G chord and then a G/B. If you wanted to name the second chord as some kind of B chord, you'd end up with something like Bm#5 or Bm+. In my opinion, that's unnecessarily complicating things. But if it makes more sense to you, then go with it.

In that case, the names I would give to the first three chords --- if I wanted to account for all the notes present --- would be:

C 6/9add #11
Bm7(add b13) or Bm7#5
Bbmaj13

For the bottom three chords, I don't think you should omit the open D string. I mean ... you're playing it, so it's affecting the sound, right? Anyway, I would say:

G5
F6
ughhh .... E7#5(no 3rd) I guess.

IMHO, it's much better, and makes more musical sense, to use inversions. Think of another classic move: G - D/F# - Em. If you were to name that second chord related to F# as the root, it would F#m#5. To me, that chord is clearly acting as a D chord, just with another note in the bass.

Now, there are instances where it's not as clear cut. Off the top of my head, Metallica's "Fade to Black" comes to mind. The first chord in the intro goes like:

-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------------
----------0------------------------|-------------------------------------------
------4-------4-------4--------4--|------------------------------------------
--2---------------2-------5-------|-------------------------------------------
----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------

So you have the notes B, F#, G, and D. Normally, I would call those notes a Gmaj7 chord. But in this instance, it really does sound like a Bm chord with an added G note. So instead of calling it Gmaj/B, I would probably call it Bm(add b6) or Bm(add b13).
 
Yeah that actually makes sense. Maybe I'll have to use a combination of both methods. The 8-5-0-0-0-0 chord definitely sounds like a Gm.

Edit: Although now that I think about it, it only sounds like a Gm in the progression where it goes from that to a D. There's another progression later on where it goes from that chord to a G5 and although it's the same chord, it definitely sounds more like an A# in that instance. So how does that work? I can't have one chord called two different names in the same song! Perhaps it could be Gm/A#?
 
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WolfandWeather said:
I can't have one chord called two different names in the same song! Perhaps it could be Gm/A#?
Click to expand...

Well, there's no law that says you can't do that. :) I can think of a few instances in which you might do that. For example, if you had this chord:

---------------
---2----------
---2----------
---2----------
---x----------
---2---------

You'd most likely call it F#m7 if it were by itself. But if it appeared in something like this:

----------------------------------------------
---2----2----2----2----2----2---------------------
---2----2----2----2----2----2---------------------
---2----2----2----2----2----2---------------------
---0----------------------------------------
--------4----3----2----1----0---------------------



Then you might name the chords A, A/G#, A/G, A/F#, A/F, A/E. Maybe not, but it certainly couldn't be considered wrong.

At any rate, you definitely wouldn't call it Gm/A#, because that's enharmonically incorrect. If it's in a Gm chord, it's a Bb note---not an A#.
 
Same note, but if you're playing in F (1 flat) it would be Bb. If you're playing in G (1 Sharp) it would be A#. Because of the key signature....G minor is 2 flats (6th of Bb)
 
Cause G major is spelled GBD, so G minor needs to also have a B in it (Bb), and you can't have Bb and A# in the same chord because it's just weird. ;)
 
WolfandWeather said:
I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to theory but how would the Bb be different to an A#?
Click to expand...

It's a technicality, really, but it's my day job, so it's important to me. Bb and A# are the same note and are enharmonic to each other. That's just a fancy way of saying one note has two different names.

Anyway, a minor triad technically contains a root, a minor 3rd, and a perfect 5th. These intervals contain two parts to their name: a quantity and a quality.

The quantity is easy: you just count letter names. So from G to A is a 2nd because there are two names involved: G (1) and A (2). Doesn't matter if it's Gb to A#, G to Ab, etc. If it's from some kind of G to some kind of A, it's some kind of 2nd.

From G to B is a 3rd because three note names are involved: G (1), A (2), and B (3), and so on.

The other part of the interval --- the quality --- tells you specifically which kind of 2nd, 3rd, 4th (etc.) it is. And it's determined by the number of half steps. You just kind of have to memorize this chart. (m = minor, M = major, P = perfect, d = diminished, A = augmented):

Number of half steps followed by interval name
1 m2 (read "minor 2nd")
2 M2 (read "major 2nd") etc.
3 m3
4 M3
5 P4
6 A4 or d5
7 P5
8 m6
9 M6
10 m7
11 M7
12 P8 (octave)

So, anyway, since a minor triad needs a root, minor 3rd, and perfect 5th, you wouldn't spell the middle note A# because it's technically not a 3rd above G because only two note names are involved: G and A. You'd call it Bb, because that's a minor 3rd above G.

Technically, from G to A# is an augmented 2nd. There are other names for the intervals shown in the chart too, but those are the most common. Here are the alternate names

3 half steps also equals an A2
8 half steps also equals an A5
10 half steps also equals an A6
 
...your 6 interval has an error, should be d4...not a critique, just assumed you hit the wrong key. (no, maybe I'm wrong, but diminished 5th shouldn't equal augmented 5th)??? Maybe I need a refresher.
 
BroKen_H said:
Same note, but if you're playing in F (1 flat) it would be Bb. If you're playing in G (1 Sharp) it would be A#. Because of the key signature....G minor is 2 flats (6th of Bb)
Click to expand...

Hmmm ... this isn't entirely true. The key signature isn't the only thing that dictates the spelling of accidentals. What you said about the key of F is correct. You would definitely call it Bb and not A#.

But in the key of G major, it could be called A# or Bb, depending on the context.

It's not as simple as "you only use sharps for accidentals in sharp keys and you only use flats for accidentals in flat keys."

---------- Update ----------

BroKen_H said:
...your 6 interval has an error, should be d4...not a critique, just assumed you hit the wrong key. (no, maybe I'm wrong, but diminished 5th shouldn't equal augmented 5th)??? Maybe I need a refresher.
Click to expand...

You're right .... typo ... they should be reversed

A4 = d5

Thanks! I'll make the edit
 
Thanks Beagle. That clicked a few cogs in place. :) Been too many years since I played with this stuff. I definitely need a refresher. Got some wires crossed in my head somewhere. Music theory was my major 35 years ago...then I played by ear for 25 years and took 10 off. Thanks.
 
BroKen_H said:
Thanks Beagle. That clicked a few cogs in place. :) Been too many years since I played with this stuff. I definitely need a refresher. Got some wires crossed in my head somewhere. Music theory was my major 35 years ago...then I played by ear for 25 years and took 10 off. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Awesome! It was my major too. :) Everybody thought/thinks I'm crazy, because most people hate music theory, but I always enjoyed it.
 
Maybe it's been said, but the key will determine how you interpret partial or weird chords. I almost never use full six-string chords anymore. I'll often partial chords with a couple strings. Say I'm playing something like x x 7 x 7 x. What is that? It could be the fifth and octave of a D major chord. It could be the root and 6th of an A6 chord. Or whatever. Context will dictate.

Easiest thing is just to write out these odd chords in tab. Unless you want to have to figure out again months from now how you fingered that Asus2/E chord that you cleverly figured out.
 
Robus said:
Maybe it's been said, but the key will determine how you interpret partial or weird chords. I almost never use full six-string chords anymore. I'll often partial chords with a couple strings. Say I'm playing something like x x 7 x 7 x. What is that? It could be the fifth and octave of a D major chord. It could be the root and 6th of an A6 chord. Or whatever. Context will dictate.

Easiest thing is just to write out these odd chords in tab. Unless you want to have to figure out again months from now how you fingered that Asus2/E chord that you cleverly figured out.
Click to expand...

If I'm reading your chord tab correctly (string 6 to 1, left to right), I assume you meant 5th and 3rd of a D major chord, right?
 
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