Introduction
A slash chord names a chord and a bass note: G/B means a G chord with B as the lowest note. Sometimes the bass is a chord tone (an inversion) and sometimes it is a passing note. Either way, slash chords are how songwriters make the bass walk smoothly up or down while the chords change on top, and they are everywhere in pop, folk and rock chord sheets.
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Read slash-chord symbols and work out which note goes in the bass.
- Play C/E, C/G, G/B, D/F♯, Am/G and Am/F♯.
- Use slash chords to make rising and falling bass lines between open chords.
Concept
A slash chord is written chord/bass. G/B means "play a G chord, with B as the lowest note". The part before the slash tells you the chord; the single letter after it tells you the bass.
There are two kinds:
- The bass is a chord tone. G/B (B is G's third) and C/E are just inversions, written in a way that is quick to read.
- The bass is not in the chord. Am/G puts a G under an A minor chord. The result is a different, richer sound (Am/G contains the notes of Am7), usually heard as a step in a moving bass line.
Their main job is bass lines that move by step. Compare G to C (the bass jumps from G up to C) with G, G/B, C: the bass climbs G, B, C. Or Am to F, against Am, Am/G, Am/F♯, F: a smooth, falling line under a chord that hardly changes. Many well-known songs use exactly these moves.
On guitar the rule is simple: the bass note must be the lowest note you play. Mute anything below it.
Visual explanation
e|-------------------------|------------------------|-|
B|-------------------------|------------------------|-|
G|-------------------------|------------------------|-|
D|-------------------------|------------------------|-|
A|-------------------------|--2-----3---------------|-|
E|---0-----2-----3---------|------------------------|-|
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Practical demonstration
From chord to slash chord.
- Play C. Now let the open low E ring as well: C/E. The chord sounds the same but sits differently.
- Play G. Lift the fingers off the low E and A strings, put the index on the A string at fret 2 (B), and mute the low E with that finger's tip. Frets 0-0-3-3 on top: G/B.
- Play D. Add the low E string at fret 2 (F♯), using the thumb over the neck or the index finger, and mute the A string.
The walk-up. Em, D/F♯, G, G/B, C, two beats each. Pick the bass note alone on beat 1, then strum the rest. You should hear the bass climb E, F♯, G, B, C.
The walk-down. Hold Am. Add the pinky on the low E at fret 3 (Am/G), then move it to fret 2 (Am/F♯), then change to Fmaj7. The top of the chord barely moves; the bass does all the work.
Guided exercises
Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.
1.Learn the shapes
4 min
- Play C, then C/E (add the open low E) and C/G (ring finger to the low E string at fret 3, pinky to the A string).
- Play G/B: the A string at fret 2, low E muted, frets 0-0-3-3 on top.
- Play D/F♯: the D shape with fret 2 on the low E (thumb over the neck or index finger), A string muted.
- Play Am, then Am/G (pinky to fret 3 on the low E) and Am/F♯ (fret 2 on the low E).
You have it when
- The bass note of each chord is clearly the lowest sound.
- No unwanted string sounds below the bass note.
2.Walk up
4 min · 60 → 80 BPM
- Play G, G/B, C: the bass climbs G, B, C.
- Play Em, D/F♯, G: the bass climbs E, F♯, G on the low E string.
- Join them: Em, D/F♯, G, G/B, C. The bass climbs E, F♯, G, B, C. Two beats per chord.
You have it when
- The bass line is clearly audible climbing by step.
3.Walk down
4 min · 60 → 80 BPM
- Play Am, Am/G, Am/F♯, Fmaj7: the bass falls A, G, F♯, F.
- Keep the top of the Am shape still; only the bass finger moves.
- Loop it for two minutes, then try picking the bass note alone on beat 1 of each chord.
You have it when
- The descending line sounds smooth and each chord changes on time.
Tempo recommendations
Shapes first, untimed. For the bass-line progressions, use 60 to 80 BPM with two beats per chord, and pick the bass note on beat 1 before strumming.
| Exercise | Start | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Walk up | 60 BPM | 80 BPM |
| Walk down | 60 BPM | 80 BPM |
Common mistakes
- Strumming from the low E on every chord. The bass note must be the lowest sound. On G/B and D/F♯ the string below the bass, or a string in between, must be muted.
- Reading G/B as two chords. The letter after the slash is a single bass note, not a chord. G/B is a G chord with B in the bass.
- Moving the whole hand for a bass change. Keep the upper part of the chord where it is; move only the finger that plays the bass.
Musical application
Look at chord sheets of songs you know for slash chords; descending lines like Am, Am/G, Am/F♯ and rising ones like G, G/B, C are very common. When you write your own progressions, try joining two chords with a slash chord whose bass sits between their roots.
Practice assignment
Short version (10 minutes)
Learn the six shapes and play the walk-up G, G/B, C.
Standard version (about 30 minutes)
Do all three exercises, then write a four-chord progression of your own that uses at least one slash chord to connect two chords by step.
Recap
- Chord/bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note.
- If the bass is a chord tone, a slash chord is an inversion.
- A walking bass by step makes chord changes smooth.
- Mute anything below the bass note.
Completion criteria
You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:
- I can read a slash chord and say which note is in the bass.
- I can play G/B, D/F♯, C/E, C/G, Am/G and Am/F♯ cleanly.
- I can play a rising and a falling bass line with slash chords.