I'm Stuck!

[Montgomery]

Imagine you are playing a normal D chord. You take your 1st finger off the A note (V) and expose a G note (IV). So now you have a I and IV and V. I cannot for the life of me work out what this chord is

Any ideas please?

[barry haywood]

Keeping the D as root, this would be a Dsus4. When I have a choice I prefer to play the G (IV) on string one. If you then play the chord with Fsharp you have restored the D major chord, a satisfying resolution.

[Mikkel]

In the tonic of G major if you have a cord that is d, g, a (1,4,5) that is a dominiant 5/4 chord. Follow it up with a normal d-major chord and then to an G major or if you want a dissapointing cadenze follow up with E minor chord.

[Montgomery]

Keeping the D as root, this would be a Dsus4. When I have a choice I prefer to play the G (IV) on string one. If you then play the chord with Fsharp you have restored the D major chord, a satisfying resolution.

I know a Dsus4 is I - IV - V but the IV replaces the III (Fsharp in this instance) and the chord in question does still have it's III so surely that rules out the sus4 chord?

Maybe I should think in terms of a different root, possibly G?

[Dave]

Maybe I should think in terms of a different root, possibly G?

G major 7 (no 3rd)

[barry haywood]

oops!! My mistake , I overlooked the original Fsharp. Now it's an Fadd4.

[Montgomery]

G major 7 (no 3rd)

Yes, definitely a G major 7 if it had the 3rd, but it doesn't, and that's why I'm stuck. Can we still call it a G major 7?

[flameproof]

Perhaps what you describe is Dsus4 or Gmaj7 or Emin9 or A13sus4 (or many others).

Outside of a context one cannot determine a chord's name because its function is unknown.

Still, what's so important about a name?

[Montgomery]

Outside of a context one cannot determine a chord's name because its function is unknown.

Really! I never knew that. I thought a chords name was established by the notes within it and not on what happened before or after it. Why is this?

[flameproof]

For a couple of reasons.

Take for example the diminished chord C Eb Gb Bbb -- this can be named in quite a few distinct ways; Cdim, Ebdim, Gbdim or Bbbdim (according to the named notes), but also as B#dim, D#dim, F#dim or Adim (according to the enharmonic equivalents of the named notes). Which of these names would be appropriate will depend upon the key of the piece and the function of the chord within that piece. (The augmented chords have a similar surplus of names also.)

More prosaically the chord CEG might represent Cmajor or B#major (or even Dbbmajor(!)). But further, these three notes could be viewed as notes of Amin7 or, of Emin5+ or, of G6sus4 (the list goes on).

Your given example behaves in the same way. GDF# could be viewed as Dsus4 (with no 5th) or, as Gmaj7 (with no 3rd) or, as a number of other names. Which is appropriate depends upon the context.

But again, I ask, what's so important about naming your chords? If you're NOT naming them according to their function you can give them any name you understand, and you might just as well call them Derek or Clive or likeaGbutwithnoB or stretchychord#1.

[barry haywood]

.....But again, I ask, what's so important about naming your chords? If you're NOT naming them according to their function you can give them any name you understand, and you might just as well call them Derek or Clive or likeaGbutwithnoB or stretchychord#1.

Thank you flameproof, I've been wondering what to call my elongated chord

[paulcroft]

Yeah, sounds like a C aug 4th/9th without the root or third to me. Its a jolly good chord - you can go anywhere from that.

[dogonjon]

Outside of a context one cannot determine a chord's name because its function is unknown.

Really! I never knew that. I thought a chords name was established by the notes within it and not on what happened before or after it. Why is this?

Voice leading. Chords are a transient result of melody and harmony. While the bass line may not reflect the root movement with inversions, chromatics and such, passing tones in melody lines create dissonances and resolutions with interior harmony lines making chords at times difficult to define. Harmony lines often include altered tones so when you are intent on defining a particular chord you have to have the context to find the implied V, I cadence hidden within the chromatics, passing tones and altered intervals.

[Montgomery]

But again, I ask, what's so important about naming your chords? If you're NOT naming them according to their function you can give them any name you understand, and you might just as well call them Derek or Clive or likeaGbutwithnoB or stretchychord#1.

Thanks, clear explanation, appreciate that, thanks.

With regards to the importance of naming it. It's not really important at all, just interesting to me. I like to learn and understand things, but no, not important. But, I do appreciate your replies, (actually that's more important than the name of this chord )

[Den]

In reference to the title of this thread, the deletion of two letters, m and t, would describe my playing with great accuracy!