Chord family · 14 shapes
Slash chords and inversions
The symbol before a slash names the chord; the note after it names the bass. G/B means G major with B as the lowest note. Because B belongs to G major, this is an inversion.
Not every slash chord is an inversion. Am/G has A, C and E above a G bass, and G is not part of the Am triad. Read the bass note directly rather than assuming it must be the third or fifth.
slash chord
14 shapes · 7 with their own pageHow to use slash chords and inversions in a song
For G/B, fret B on the A string at fret 2 and mute the low E string. If the low G from a normal G shape still rings, B is no longer the lowest note and the intended inversion is lost.
Try C, G/B and Am. Their bass notes move C, B and A, a stepwise descent, while the upper chords change. Compare this with G, G/B, Am and C, whose bass notes G, B, A and C do not descend continuously.
D/F# puts F# on the low E string at fret 2; C/E leaves that string open. Check the bass alone first, then add the upper chord. A clear lowest note matters more than strumming every available string.
If another instrument supplies the written bass note, a plain upper chord may be enough. When playing alone, include the slash note to preserve the bass movement. Use the diagrams below to compare the string you start from.
If you only try two of the shapes on this page, try D/F# and D7/F#: both can be reached from shapes you already know, so the change stays playable at speed. Play them slowly enough that you hear the added note arrive, then speed the loop up without changing anything else.
How to practise slash chords and inversions
- Play C, G/B and Am. Pick the bass first in each chord and listen to C, B and A descending.
- Play C, C/E and C/G. The triad stays C major while the lowest note changes.
- Compare Am with Am/G. The added G bass gives a different note set, so this slash chord is more than an inversion of the Am triad.
Slash chords and inversions in real songs
Slash chords appear wherever a song wants its bass line to move. Eight examples charted here:
- The Weight: E/G# is the turnaround chord, and the bass note is what makes it work
- Blackbird: G/B and the rest of the descending line are the whole point of the guitar part
- I'm Yours: G/B keeps the bass moving between G and Am
- Ain't No Sunshine: Am/G walks the bass down while the chord above stays still
- The Boxer: uses C/G and C/E, two inversions of the same chord, in one verse
- Something: C/E is the bass-note change that turns a plain C into a moving line
- Margaritaville: A/C# is the inversion that makes the chorus lift
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps: Am/G does the same job in a minor key
Printable family chart
Slash chords and inversions with their own pages
These are the ones that turn up often enough in songs to deserve a full page — fingerings in every position, real progressions, and the songs that use them.