The bass after the slash · Lead-sheet symbols · Music theory
A slash shows the bass note: C/E is a C chord with E in the bass. It is how inversions are written, and also how to draw bass lines that walk by step…
The bass after the slash
A slash shows the bass note: C/E is a C chord with E in the bass. It is how inversions are written, and also how to draw bass lines that walk by step without changing the harmony.
The bass need not belong to the chord. D/C puts a C under a D chord, and F/G, a G under an F chord: a very soft dominant, with no leading tone, common in pop. The note after the slash does not name the chord; what comes before it does.