Slash Chords
(18 Nov 03)
Dominant Sounds
Dominant family slash chords: Both altered and unaltered dominant sounding chords can be created using slash chords. Let's start with the unaltered type.
Ex. 4: By placing the major triad a 2nd below the bass note we can make a dominant 9sus chord. Ex: you want to make a G9sus chord, simply place a F triad on a G bass note and you'll get the sound of the 9sus chord. F is a 2nd below G: F/G = G9sus. Check the example below:
Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 2nd below the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a dominant 9sus.
Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: C/D, A/B, G/A, D/E, Eb/F.
This slash chord replaces any unaltered dominant chord. Anytime you run across a 9sus chord in a chart, use this slash chord. The example below is somewhat similar to what Herbie Hancock did in "Dolphin Dance":
Ex. 5: By placing the major triad a tritone (dim5th) above the bass note we can make a dominant 7(b9,#11) chord. Ex: you want to make a B7(b9,#11) chord, simply place a F triad on a B bass note and you'll get the sound of the 7(b9,#11) chord. F is a tritone above B: F/B = B13(b9,#11). Check the example below:
Rule: a major triad superimposed a tritone (dim5th) above the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a 7(b9,#11) chord.
Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: C/F#, A/Eb, D/Ab, F#/C, B/F.
This slash chord, like the example before, is also derived from the diminished half/whole scale. Try the example below:
Ex. 6: By placing the major triad a maj6 above the bass note we can make a dominant 13b9 chord. Ex: To make a G13b9 chord, simply place an E triad on a G bass note and you'll get the sound of the 13b9 chord. E is a 6th above G: E/G = G13b9. Check the example below:
Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 6th above the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a dominant 13b9 sounding.
Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: B/D, A/C, F#/A, D/F, C/Eb.
This slash chord technically is derived from the diminished half/whole scale. Try the example below:
Slash chords and the diminished half/whole scale
Because of the symmetrical structure of the diminished half/whole scale, any chord that is derived from it can be moved up or down in minor third intervals and will still function as some kind of dominant chord.
I know, if you are hearing this for the first time, you are scratching your head. I'll give you an example using the slash chords from the last two examples: let's say you want to use a slash chord to make a dominant sounding chord, the dominant chord you want to make is a some kind of B7 chord.
You decide to use the Ex. 6 slash chord that you learned above: a triad placed a tritone (dim5) above the root and you will get a B7(b9,#11) chord. The triad a tritone above B is F so a F/B slash chord = B7(b9,#11).
Here is the trick: you can move the F triad up a minor third and place it over our B bass note and it should make some kind of dominant chord also. Let's see, hmm..... a minor third above F is Ab so our new slash chord is Ab/B.
What does this chord analyze to? Well, a Ab triad is spelled: Ab - C - Eb, placed over our B bass note, the Ab note is a 13th, the C is a b9th and the Eb is a 3rd (really D#, but it's the same note). Duh... this was our Ex. 5 slash chord! Remember? A triad placed a maj6th above the bass note renders a 13b9 chord. Ab is enharmonic with G# and G# is a maj 6rd from B.
What about the other triads? A min3rd from Ab is Cb which is really B, and B/B is just plain old B and since B is inside a B7 chord, you can consider it a B7 chord. A minor third from B is D and D is spelled D - F# - A. Placed over a B bass note D = #9, F# = 5 and A = b7 so this chord can be analyzed as a B7#9 chord. This chord can also be analyzed as a Bmin7 chord but since the dominant tonality has already been determined, it is fine to analyze it this way. Check out how Chick Corea used this technique in "500 Miles High":
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