Chord Notation

[JuliusGroove]

Just a quickie..

When notating 7th chords with a different note in the bass do you notate it as an inversion and follow the notes in order or just start with the new bass note and skip it later in the interval formula?

E.G - Gmaj7/B - Would you notate it in the order of

1) B, G, D, F# (3rd, Root, 5th. 7th)

OR

2) B, D, F# G (3rd, 5th, 7th, Root. 1st Inversion of Gmaj7 Arpeggio)

Thanks guys!

Edited April 30, 2014 by JuliusGroove

[TKenrick]

It entirely depends on how you're voicing the chord - both 1 ) and 2) have the same notes and perform the same function, so the order of the pitches within that chord is up to you and depends on what sounds best in the context of the music. The main thing is that the chord contains the notes of Gmaj7 and has a B as its lowest note, the arrangement and spacing of the G, D and F# is dependent on context and is subjective.

[paul_5]

If you're playing it as an open chord on a guitar then it'd look like this:

[attachment=161669:GMaj7.pdf]

That goes B, D, G, B, F# (3rd, 5th, root, 3rd, 7th)

In the same position it could be played:

[attachment=161671:GM.pdf]

which goes B, F#, G, B, G (3rd, 7th, root, 3rd, octave root)

and still be a G∆/B (the 5th isn't as important as the other notes, so is often the first to go when simplifying chords)

ultimately, if it sounds right, it is right.

(these files get changed to some crazy heathen format by bass chat, just change the extension to .pdf and they'll open in adobe as normal)

Edited April 30, 2014 by paul_5