Introducing “Slash Chord” Symbols

When we took the left hand triads in the previous example and applied inversions and voice leading to them, notice that one effect of this was to change the bottom note on some of the chords. For example, the C major triads in the first three measures now have the note E on the bottom instead of C. In popular styles we will frequently see slash chord symbols used to indicate that a chord tone other than the root is to be placed on the bottom. For example, the symbol “C/E” means “play a C major chord, but use E as the bottom note.” A simple way to achieve this is to use left-hand triad inversions as in the previous example. (Later, we will see some other ways to do this, with different voicings and patterns.) We will see slash chords in some of the great songs you’ll be playing later in the book.

In a “slash chord” symbol, the note to the left of the slash is the name of the overall chord, and the symbol to the right of the slash is the bottom or lowest note (“bass note”). I often see beginning players get the two halves of a slash chord symbol “switched around,” so be careful with these!