Slash chords
A slash chord names a chord and then the note in the bass: C/E is a C major chord with E as its lowest note. When the bass is a note of the chord, the slash chord is an inversion: C/E is the first inversion (the 3rd in the bass) and C/G is the second (the 5th in the bass). No slash is needed when the bass is the root.
When the bass is not in the chord, as in C/D, it is not an inversion: the bass note adds its own colour. C/D (D C E G) sounds like a suspended D9, open and unresolved.
Polychords
A polychord puts a whole triad over a bass note (or over another chord). The two together spell a bigger chord, so polychords are a quick way to play extended chords with shapes you already know. Each pattern makes the same sound on every root:
| Pattern | On a C bass | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| D/C | C13♯11 | a major triad a whole step above the bass: the 9th, ♯11 and 13th of a dominant chord, without its 3rd or 5th (a Lydian dominant sound) |
| B♭/C | C9sus4 | a major triad a whole step below the bass: the ♭7, 9th and 4th (a suspended dominant) |
| Em/C | Cmaj7 | a minor triad a major 3rd above the bass: the 3rd, 5th and 7th of a major 7th chord |
| E♭/C | Cm7 | a major triad a minor 3rd above the bass: the ♭3, 5th and ♭7 of a minor 7th chord |
| E/C | Cmaj7♯5 | a major triad a major 3rd above the bass: the 3rd, ♯5 and 7th (a major 7th with a raised fifth) |
| G/C | Cmaj9 (no 3rd) | a major triad a 5th above the bass: the 5th, 7th and 9th of a major 9th chord, without its 3rd |
The same patterns work on any bass: F/G is G9sus4 (a major triad a whole step below the bass), and A/G is G13♯11.
New to chord symbols? See the chord symbols drill. For the colour chords themselves, try the 6th and 9th chords and altered and extended chords drills.
Frequently asked questions
What does a slash in a chord name mean?
The letter before the slash is the chord and the letter after is the bass note. C/E is a C major chord with E as the lowest note. The slash does not mean "or".
Is a slash chord always an inversion?
Only when the bass note belongs to the chord. C/E is an inversion (E is the 3rd of C). C/D is not: D is not in C major, so it adds a colour of its own, a suspended sound over D.
Why write slash chords at all?
To control the bass line. C, G/B, Am, C/G sends the bass walking down C B A G while the chords above move naturally. Slash chords are how songwriters and arrangers write a bass line into a chord chart.
What is a polychord?
Two chords played at once, usually a triad over a bass note or over another chord. D/C is a D major triad over a C bass: together they make a C13♯11 sound with no 3rd or 5th. Polychords are a shortcut for building extended chords from triads you already know.
How do I read D/C as a slash chord or a polychord?
If the bass note is in the chord it is a slash chord (an inversion). If the top is a full triad that sits apart from the bass, and the two together make a bigger chord, musicians call it a polychord. The notation is the same; how it sounds and what you call it differs.
Is there a trick for finding what a polychord is?
Yes: look at where the triad sits above the bass. A major triad a whole step above the bass gives a dominant 13♯11 sound; a major triad a whole step below the bass gives a 9sus4; a minor triad a major 3rd above gives a major 7th.