What chord is this and why?

SlopeSoarer

What chord is this and why?

https://www.scales-chords.com/chord-charts/guitar-C_G-c-n-l-v-3-3-2-0-1-0.png

Edit: I've just realised there is a name over the top in the image, I wish that wasn't there! 

TheBigDipper

It's a C major chord - C(root)-E(3rd)-G(5th) - with a G (5th) bass note.

If you were playing this in a band, you might find the guitarist plays the 1-3-5 notes and the bass player plays the low G. On an acoustic, accompanying yourself, you might play this chord in its entirety to get the same musical effect. 

SlopeSoarer

C major and C/G are both the correct ways to name it are they? 

viz

SlopeSoarer said:

C major and C/G are both the correct ways to name it are they? 

There are 5 names for it:

C
C major
C over G
C with a G in the bass
C 2nd inversion


Most guitarists would say C over G

SlopeSoarer

OK thanks both. Sorry for the early call!

viz

That’s ok, we’re here 247

(which is also called Dm6)

Tannin

But we haven't really said why. It's some sort of C because it contains all three notes of the C major triad, and no other notes. Nothing else fits half so well.

It's a C/G (or 2nd inversion) because it has the 5th (G) in the bass.

Pjon

viz said:

That’s ok, we’re here 247

(which is also called Dm6)

Hold on, I think that might be a useful musical Dad joke. Let me note it down for use later..  

viz

Pjon said:

viz said:

That’s ok, we’re here 247

(which is also called Dm6)

Hold on, I think that might be a useful musical Dad joke. Let me note it down for use later..  

Call that a dad joke? This is a dad joke: Dad is a power chord

Bellycaster

viz said:

Pjon said:

viz said:

That’s ok, we’re here 247

(which is also called Dm6)

Hold on, I think that might be a useful musical Dad joke. Let me note it down for use later..  

Call that a dad joke? This is a dad joke: Dad is a power chord

In that case, what is DADGE?

Lestratcaster

C/G as a 2nd inversion as the 5th interval in C (which is a G) is the lowest bass note. Nice chord to play on acoustic.

PolarityMan

Colin...because it's the kind of chord a Colin would play. 

Open_G

I've known a few people who would use that fingering to play a C major open chord, stating they like the fuller sound... Actually when I say a few, I mean one..

Its a C over G for me.

Roland

Would anybody like to make a case for Gsus4+6 or Em#5/G? At the end of the day nomenclature is just a way of writing down what’s being played. A lot depends on context, and particularly what the bass line is. Most of us would automatically go for C/G. On an acoustic guitar it helps stop the open E ring in the bass.  

Devil#20

Roland said:

Would anybody like to make a case for Gsus4+6 or Em#5/G? At the end of the day nomenclature is just a way of writing down what’s being played. A lot depends on context, and particularly what the bass line is. Most of us would automatically go for C/G. On an acoustic guitar it helps stop the open E ring in the bass.  

I stop the E ring in the bass by muting with the 3rd finger whilst it frets the C on the 5th. I think C/G was the more popular fingering for a C back in the day. 

bloodandtears

Bellycaster said:

viz said:

Pjon said:

viz said:

That’s ok, we’re here 247

(which is also called Dm6)

Hold on, I think that might be a useful musical Dad joke. Let me note it down for use later..  

Call that a dad joke? This is a dad joke: Dad is a power chord

In that case, what is DADGE?

A type of Oak?

viz

bloodandtears said:

Bellycaster said:

viz said:

Pjon said:

viz said:

That’s ok, we’re here 247

(which is also called Dm6)

Hold on, I think that might be a useful musical Dad joke. Let me note it down for use later..  

Call that a dad joke? This is a dad joke: Dad is a power chord

In that case, what is DADGE?

A type of Oak?

Adji

Roland said:

Would anybody like to make a case for Gsus4+6 or Em#5/G? At the end of the day nomenclature is just a way of writing down what’s being played. A lot depends on context, and particularly what the bass line is. Most of us would automatically go for C/G. On an acoustic guitar it helps stop the open E ring in the bass.  

Agreed. The spelling depends on the context.

If there was only that chord and nothing else, it probably has to be assumed G is the root / tonic right? So Gsus4add13 or something is perhaps TECHNICALLY correct. Its been many years since I studied theory mind!

If it forms part of a progression: Gsus4add13, Fmaj, Gmaj then it would make a hell of a lot more sense to spell it as C/G.


I always give the example to students when talking about this kind of thing or F# vs Gb for instance:
It's like THERE and THERE. They both sound exactly the same, but the different spelling makes it mean something entirely different.

viz

It’s pretty bloody hard to twist your brain and ears to think of that as any type of G chord; even were the sus4 to resolve (both of them). Also you’d still have that nuisance 6 hanging around. 

I can’t think of an obvious situation where that would be a G sus 4 add 6 or whatever, when there’s a C 2nd inversion on offer as the obvious alternative. 

Rocker

That chord is what I and every guitar player that I knew, learned as C major back in 1970s Ireland.  In those days we did not have a chord book and, of course, there was no such thing as the internet.  We learned chords from each other.  It never occurred to me to work out how to spell the chord and even if I did, I knew nothing of  music theory so that knowledge would have been of little use.   As far as I am concerned, the chord is C/G

TheBigDipper

Roland said:

Would anybody like to make a case for Gsus4+6 or Em#5/G? At the end of the day nomenclature is just a way of writing down what’s being played. A lot depends on context, and particularly what the bass line is. Most of us would automatically go for C/G. On an acoustic guitar it helps stop the open E ring in the bass.  

Agreed. In isolation it immediately says "cowboy C major with a G bass". In musical context. it might not be. As a guitarist, though, reading a chord chart, I'd be OK about using C/g as shorthand for those notes even if C wasn't the right root to use in that context. 

FWIW, I use the third finger to play the 3rd fret C on the A string when I'm playing a standard C and let it mute the bottom E string so it doesn't ring out on those times when my pick hits it by mistake. Which is just as well, actually... :-)