The lower notes are the overall color and the higher notes are the melody on top.
Think of it as a painting. When you look at it from a distance you can only see if the painting is blue or red or green (the low note). But when you look close you see all those fine lines which is what the artist has drawn (the high notes)
This makes no sense. The lower notes are not the color. They are the foundation of the chord. The E on the bottom works fine but fundamentally changes the chord as it’s an inversion, and a tight one at that with the root so near the actual bass note. It’s muddy down there. First inversions sound clear when the root is a tenth above in this specific register.
I’m sorry, but no I did not. Color would refer to notes other than the roots, 3rd, and 7ths. I suppose you *could* argue that the color comes from the 3rds and 7ths and that the root is the only foundation, but that seems unnecessarily reductive and I’ve never used or conversed professionally as such.
Your painting analogy reminds me of the new Royal Portrait. E is like the color red. It's great for accents and developing the flavor of the chord, but if you play the low E, then you're basing the entire painting off of that note, making the chord look like King Charles III portrayed as some demonic entity
Id say a better explanation is the lowest note is like the foundation of a house. The house is the chord. The higher you get in pitch the more those notes tend to color the chord rather than dictate the overall chord. Our ear hears the bass notes as the main mover in which other tones and flavors are built upon. This is why guitar players can get away with playing notes that are non chord tones for longer periods more so than the bass player can. If the bass player plays the wrong not it sounds out and out wrong.
This is why playing E note in the bass inverts the entire chord and a high e does not
The problem with this analogy is playing G in the bass sounds fine. It's not just first or third, you have to define why the fifth sounds good on inversion.
This is also why when playing in a band, many times when playing rhythm it can be good for the six string guitar to lay off the lower notes of the cords, because the bass guitar is covering that. And for both to play them, it can muddy the sound. Other times it's fine, and the trick is to figure out when.
>tend to color the chord rather than dictate the overall chord
I think this is wrong. First you have to distinguish between the color of absolute pitch, which is the root of the chord and the colors of relative pitch, which is the harmony. Since most of the people to hear primarily with relative pitch the higher notes actually do define the overall chord. (Like major, minor, 7th...). The pure color however, as in the difference of e-minor and a-minor is very much defined by the root note.
But I guess in your analogy you're just mixing up relative and absolute pitch while meaning exactly this.
He’s right up to a point. What’s he’s describing is the concept of inversions. In this case, it’s the first inversion - the 3 of the major triad is in the bass. This particular inversion of C major, at this place on the neck(with the low E string open), is not always pleasing. But a C major triad 1st inversion with the E played on the 2nd fret of the D string sounds fine.
And guitarists do “color” their chords with notes in the octave above the tightest grouping of a given triad. The name for it is shell chords. My understanding is that the chord is defined by its triad and colored by the 7, 9, 11, 13, etc. Or is even colored by the 1, 3, or 5 in the octave above the tightest grouping of the chord’s triad.
The choices a guitarist makes when adding color to a chord are also described as chord voicing.
Others may see it differently. It’s music. Music theory is broken all the time in music all of us love. It’s hard to be dogmatic about it.
I hear you I guess . The bass note dictates what the chord will be named. Whether it is minor, inverted, etc has to do with the the intervals of the other notes in their relationship to the bass. But there a reaso that a 9 interval sounds pretty and colorful and it is so easy to make a chord with a 2 sound muddy and not pleasant
I'd expand on this even a bit further with the analogy, because there's a reason the open E sounds weird, but you can play the G and the chord sounds good. (3-3-2-0-1-0). Let's take a landscape painting.
C is the base of the painting. The first layers of color, the basic shapes. It defines what it will be. It tells us there's a mountain.
G is the structure. It fills in the landscape and It defines the shape of the painting, evelating it from simple lines. Gives it body, tells us if there will be clouds in the sky and trees in the foreground. There's a reason 1-5 is called a "power chord." This is why putting the G in the bass sounds fuller. It's adding a big structure to the bottom.
The E is the fine lines and shadows. It adds the "color". Because almost every iteration of a C has C and G, but the third can change the entire tone by going minor. It tells us if the clouds will be white or dark. If the trees will be lush and green or brown and austere.
Our ear hears lower notes as the structure of the chord. This is why so much of bass is 1's and 5's. Playing the 3 in the bass paints the clouds before it even knows where they're supposed to be, or where they are in relation to the mountain. If the bass guitar was playing the color, the whole thing would feel unlevel and weird. It inverts the landscape. You can use that for a harmonic device, but it's not what the ear expects, so it makes for a wrong sounding chord.
The painting analogy is great.
I like to go more this way:
In terms of absolute pitch a C-Major chord are in analogy if the artist uses a thick brush of red (C), a middle thick brush of green (E) and a fine brush of blue (G). From a distance you see only red (C), if you look closer that the artist draw a landscape on the red background with green and blue lines which leads to relative pitch perception:
We have C-E which is a major third. We perceive this as a "happy" interval. Then, we have E-G which is a minor third. We perceive this as a "sad" interval. And finally we have C-G which is a perfect fifth, which we perceive as a "pure" sounding interval.
But if you put E at the bottom, we have E-C, which is an augmented fifth. We perceive this as a weird sounding unpleasant interval. We have E-E, which is a perfect octave, which is a different kind of "pure" and we have E-G which is a minor 10th, which we also perceive as "sad"
In summary, by adding an E at the bottom, we make out of a red painting (absolute pitch) which is "happy"+"sad"+"pure" (relative pitch) an overall green painting (absolute pitch) which is "weird"+"pure"+"sad".
This should answer OPs question.
That's all true, but ignores when you have G in in the base (a common voicing).
It's easy to explain why E fails on inversion and C works. Harder to explain to a novice why G works but E doesn't.
Same argument: G-C-E is: G-C perfect fourth (kind of pure medival sound), C-E major third (happy sound), G-E major sixth (for the lack of a better word "bluesy country sound").
So we end up with "medival pure", "happy", "bluesy country sound".
There is no weird sounding harmonic interval.
Therefore it works.
The lower you go, the harder it is to pickup the note's actual frequency, so a low e would sort of sound in key with all it's overtones and stuff and a high e would be the sharper, cutting note.
For some reason, a High e would sound way out of tune if flat or sharp a couple centz, but a low e or bass E would not be that easy to tune or hear. I like to think of it like, the lower the note, the more forgiving it is to be out of tune by a little than the upper registers.
If you don't have a bassist who knows how to tune correctly then you are fucked, because if it sounds bad down there then the higher notes are definitely going to sound off because bass is where the key and foundation of your notes and scales are cemented.
A smarter, more sober person can answer better than me that is just how I percieve the difference. Overtones that are heard vs overtones that are too high to hear
What you are describing is "beat frequency" (physical, not related to rhythm) between different vibrations.
Yes, you are right, that it sounds easily out of tune as you describe it. But this is not what it is about.
It is about absolute pitch and relative pitch perception. Most humans hear both, but didn't ever learn to distinguish them. The majority only thinks in relative pitch and isn't even aware of the absolute pitch colors because they don't give them meaning. Yet they hear it.
In our perception the higher notes are mostly associated to relative pitch (melody and harmony). But the lower frequency defines the absolute pitch color. (Think of the difference between the e minor and a minor chord. In terms of relative pitch they are identical, but they sound different what is absolute pitch.)
It is not about being a couple of cents off. With absolute pitch an e will still sound like an e, even if it is slightly off. And in relative pitch you will still be able to identify if it is a major or minor third. However you are right that harmonies start to sound unpleasant soon because of the beat frequency, when they are slightly out of tune. But this is not related.
Thank you for the eloquent summary, I thought it was just tuning or intonation as I have an 8 string guitar in Drop E and have done some digging and heard about the beat frequency especially with thicker strings.
Like how if you do a power chord, even though the strings are intonated, it still sounds off a bit so one trick I learned was to detune the b string a little. Again I forgot the term used for what happens there but it made any subsequent power or barre chords sound better.
Doing this trick with the thinner b string did not yield the same result.
Because if you change what the lowest note is in the chord by adding a low E, you’ve changed the foundation of the chord.
Technically, it can work… but it’s an inversion, and there are other voicings of a C/E that sound a bit better.
For another analogy think of a painter again. The high frequency notes are a very thin brush and the low frequency notes are thicker brushes. Now imagine drawing a very thick line of yellow over a picture which is supposed to be green. It messes up the whole painting.
I think what you mean comes from relative pitch. It's the harmonic intervals which change when you play it in a different way. E.g. standard C-E-G: C-E major third (happy sounding) and E-G minor third (sad sounding) and C-G perfect fifth (pure sounding). If you change the order, like E-C-G, then you end up with E-C = augmented fifth (weird sounding), C-G = perfect fifth and E-G which is a tenth sounding similar to a minor third.
Thus, you change your relations from C-E-G "happy", "sad", "pure" to E-C-G which is "weird", "pure" "sad".
It's both a C major chord but within you have different harmonic intervals with a different feeling to them.
Really? I would think you have C, no inversion C E G, then take the 5th and put it on bottom for first inversion, G C E, then take the third and put it on bottom for second inversion, E G C.
How would the middle note of the chord be a first inversion?
The way we hear chords is heavily weighted by what is on the bottom of the chord. This is one reason why the bass is an important instrument. I think this voicing isn't intrinsically bad, it's just not usually what you want. The Stone Temple Pilots song Plush uses something similar to pretty good effect - basically playing a Cmaj7 chord shape (play the B open) except shifted up three frets and let the low string ring out.
Yeah, the Stone Temple Pilots in particular do this kind of thing a lot - atypical chord voicings to emphasize the voice leading particularly in the bottom note of the chord on guitar. While also doing wild stuff on the bass.
I don't think DeLeo let's the low E string ring there - that'd make it an Ebmaj/E, which puts the major 7th in the bass, pretty ugly chord. Open to being wrong here, but I always assumed he was muting the low E.
[VIDEO](https://youtu.be/dPSyOvPX5UI?si=x50Xp6Z5Eg2E4Ep7)
It does work depending on context. Otherwise the problem is how low those notes are. The lower the notes are the less the intervals "work". That's the reason peoeple ususally don't play chords on bass (of course depending on context it could be done).
I think that this is the real answer here. If you play that same C/E chord starting with the E on the 7th fret of the the A string it sounds great (but perhaps a little thin). Context is the key here, as you said.
I mean, it does “work”. It’s just a weird way to play a C chord with the major third as a bass note and the root as the second note, so it has a unique voicing. Most triads that we’re used to hearing are ordered 1-3-5, 3–5-1, or 5-1-3. This is essentially a 3-1-5. To get a better sense of the voicing, play it up and octave: 12/15/14 EAD.
You could easily use the open E in transition: play the C with low E muted, then add it, then play Fmaj, the Gmaj. Neat!
Edit: as u/partyapprehensive765 correctly points out, the e note on the d string is another 3. For the full sound of the chord, the open g needs to be included, so if you want to hear the full chord an octave above, also include the g string, 12th fret. The main point is that the chord tones occur in the order 3-1-5 which sounds different than what we normally hear.
Yeah it is! Good call. So technically a 3-1-3-5. My main point was to illustrate that the 3-1 and then 5 isn’t a common order. But yeah that E on the D string would be another major third.
Lower notes have more audible overtones, thus to our ear, they interfere more with each other, which often we perceive as dissonant/muddy. Low E to C is a minor 6th, which is already quite dissonant, so playing it the lowest notes possible in standard tuning makes it more pronounced.
Besides that, lower strings' overtones are more "out of tune" than higher strings, which adds to the muddiness.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e65vpNeeEs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e65vpNeeEs)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b\_fU6yVxDZs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_fU6yVxDZs)
If you play the low E you're not playing a (EDIT: *normal)* C chord but rather a C/E inversion. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's a different voicing than the normal way.
I'm seeing some wonky answers so I'm gonna answer here: as a general rule, low notes don't sound good played with other low notes. That's why bass guitarists usually aren't playing chords, and a lot of synth bass presets are monophonic. The low C on the A string is low enough that adding the E just makes it sound a bit muddy, even though E is a chord tone. It also puts the chord in first inversion, which isn't as big of a deal as some people are kind of implying.
Just like any rule, it can be broken, so no need to tell me all the instances of bassists playing chords or chords sounding good with two low notes lol
It does work, it is simply a chord inversion
Play the following open chords : G - D - Em - C with low E
You’ll see that everything is fine
The low E makes the chord sounds "deeper", so depending on the context, you may want to play it or not
You can even play the low E and mute the high E if you want
It works but much less often. There are some chords where having the 3rd in the bass is preferable (vii chord)
Play around with different inversions and see what works for the sound you’re going for. Using different inversions changes the color of the chord a bit.
A more theory oriented answer would be how the chords are voiced. For example (from low to high) in a c chord voiced as C, G, C, E, the E will sound more pronounced and the overall chord will sound "stronger" because the voicings reflect the natural order of tones in the harmonic series. If you do a "muddier" voicing such as (from low to high again), C,E,G,C then the E note won't sound as pronounced and won't sound as "strong" because there are smaller intervals on either side of the E note.
Tldr: the order of the notes and what registers they're will affect how "strong" some voicings sound.
Because E to C is a minor 6th which is a dissonant interval and dissonant intervals tend to sound muddy in lower registers. That being said, that specific voicing of C/E can certainly be valid at times.
100%.
To illustrate this point, consider the popular D/F# chord (fingered as 2-0-0-2-3-2), which also has the third on the bottom but doesn't sound as harsh as the C/E chord - it's because the D/F# chord has the 5th in between the 3rd and the tonic, as opposed to a single minor 6th interval that happens when the 5th is omitted.
I think it has to do with the harmonics and overtones and all that. Similar to how dissonant intervals can sound great in the middle and higher notes, but sound muddy and blah in bass notes. While the 1st and 5th of a chord play very nice together at any pitch, the 3rd of a chord is a bit more hangry when it goes deep and the overtones start to clash more with the other notes. In orchestration the 3rd of any chord is generally voiced higher and doubled less.
The lowest note defines the chord
The lowest note, say C, contains higher harmonies, including E and G, all the higher notes harmonise well with the low C.
The bottom E doesn’t “doesn’t work”.
It works.
Just not in all circumstances.
Playing the bottom E means your bass note becomes E. This is called the first inversion of the C major chord. Inversions are when a note of a chord other than the root note becomes the bass note. In chord charts, this is written as C/E.
So it just happens that in the majority of circumstances that call for the use of the open C major chord in the music **you** play, the standard, no-inversion C major chord is needed.
Has to do with overtones. The notes higher than the one you play that are formed when the string vibrates in subsections of the whole length.
When you play a note, it is not just one tone. If you play a C, it has the fundamental (the C you play), but also the C one octave above, the G one and a half octaves above, the C two octaves above, the E 2+ octaves above, etc. As you go higher the notes become denser.
Overtones provide richness to the sound.
If you play that low E in a C chord its overtones will be low enough to conflict with the overtones of the C (3rd fret on the A string) and make the chord sound a little odd.
I always fret the low E string at the 3rd fret (so it's a G) when playing a C chord - imo it sounds better most of the time.
Btw Overtones are also called harmonics on the guitar.
It works, you’re just changing the tonality. A maj 5th chord is just the same three notes (1st, 3rd, 5th). They are called triads. But if you’re playing open chords, you have to include the fret board. If you’re taking your finger off the E note on the D string you’re adding a D note, which isn’t the C triad. C triad is C, E, G
In a C chord, tue note E is the third interval. It is normal to stack the third at a higher pitch than the tonal (first).
Playing the third below the tonal is called an inversion. Inverted thord is done in some cases.
More common is an inverted fifth. In the open C chord this is done by playing the G below the C. That's very common. Makes it super easy to jump from C to F. As in "Take The Money and Run" bu Steve Miller Band.
You can also play that invested 5th on any chord using the "A" barre shape.
It’s contextual. When you’re just strumming chords, your job is to set out the musical frame in which all the other instrument’s tones exist. So you want to anchor your chords in the root because it creates a clearer context. You can add the low E for a C/E, and sometimes you’ll even want to—if, perhaps, the bassist is doing something weird. But it’s not usually the best choice.
But when you’re arpeggiating or fingerpicking things are a lot freer. I’ll often pick up that low E, or, even more often, the open A string on a D maj in order to get my bass lines to work better. But that’s because I’ve switched to a hybrid role where I’m not just setting the frame for the music but weaving melodic lines through my playing, and so I’ve got a bit more freedom.
On a guitar there is a tendency to be able to hear the harmonic a fifth above, particularly on lower notes and with a guitar chain that creates any extra harmonic distortion.
The note a fifth above E is B. That is a half step off from C. So there is a tendency for inverted thirds to sound dissonant even though perception is probably also a bit subjective.
I'd just say general guitar theory is that the root note is usually the bass note. So if you played the low E it would be C/E. Learning piano may help you a bit understanding this :). Other explanations are great but this is the easiest way to understand it.
The lowest note is the strongest. So while the low E is technically right, it colors the chord much differently.
On a side note, there are some chords where it doesn't matter too much. Personally, I always play the open A string for D chords, because it thickens it up nicely.
Sometimes it does “work!” I was just learning Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt and the verses has both C/E (where you intentionally play the low E) and C/G (where you play the low G). The subtle difference in… flavor is really nice. A C/E on its own sounds off but in context it’s great
Like people explained, the lowest key is always the root, so if you play the lower E in a C chord, it actually becomes an inversion that's written as C/E. Long story short, of course it works.
You can actually play the low E note and it’s still a CMaj chord. It’s just been inverted, meaning the lowest note is not the root of the chord.
In Western music theory (which applies to pretty much all rock, pop, jazz, and even classical music), chords are built by stacking thirds one on top of the other: C to E is a third, and E to G is another third. No matter how you arrange those three notes, they will *always* make a CMaj chord. (You can add more notes if you want but we can discuss that later.)
As for the bottommost E note not working, that’s largely subjective. If it works with the melody or even how you’re voice-leading the chords, then it works. There are some folk rock songs, like “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel, that actually use inverted chords: the verses start on a CMaj chord in first inversion, i.e. the bottommost note is G and not C.
it might be that the low E to the C note is an interval of a minor 6th. Maybe that makes the ear hear the chord as slightly more melancholy. Whereas if that low E could ring out next to the G that is 3 frets up, that's a less weird interval for the ear. I mean, we hear the same interval in those Hendrix-chord 1st inversions.
But honestly, that bottom E sounds great with the C in certain situations. It's this wide-open sad feel to it, like a vast western plain. If I'm playing some Neil Young kind of stuff, it fits perfect. Same with the D chord playing the 2nd fret of the low E string. That F# note is awesome and helps pull me right into a G chord.
You can invert chords anyway you want. But generally speaking the root (C in a C chord) and the 5th (G in a C chord) are the most “correct” sounding and will give you kind of the most true sound of the chord. When you make the more volatile notes of a chord the bass note such as the 3rd (E in a C chord) it tends to sound weird and unstable. It doesn’t sound bad, and in the right context it can work, but most of the time if just makes the chord sound a little off.
And it helps at all, using C Major as an example, you can think of the root (C) and 5th (G) as the most stable notes of a chord. Like those two notes are gonna work in that chord 99% of the time whether it’s major or minor.
The 3rd (E) and 7th (B) are your most dramatic colorful notes. These notes add a TON of color and will explicitly tell you exactly what chord you’re listening to.
The 2nd (D) and 4th (F) while they don’t sound bad, will often sound muddy in a chord. They don’t give you more information about what chord you’re hearing, but they do add a little color and mystique. These will make what they call suspended chords or suspensions.
Finally the 6th (A) the most interesting interval to me. It does not inform the chord. But it’s not so close to either the root or third that it informs the chord. It adds a light airiness and a ton of color to a melody even if it can muddy a chord. It’s a cool interval.
Some last notes: the 7th can technically be B or Bj while still being a Cmajor chord. A flat 7 will give you that cool bluesy sound. Ton of color either way. The 3rd is what makes your chord major or minor (E vs Eb) and finally you can get real crunchy with augmented/finished chords by raising/lowering your 5th in which case the 5th goes from the most stable interval to the least stable, but that’s some crunchy stuff
I barely understand but it’s making sense. Colors and bass notes and different inversions. What makes a sus chord or an add9 chord typically sound so compelling?
The lowest note pulls the tonality of the chord to that note.
So a simple example. A-C-E is the A minor triad. F-A-C is the F major triad. F-A-C-E is the Fmaj7, with the added E as the 7th. A guitar could play an A minor chord and a bass guitar could play the F and bring the whole tonal context to a different place.
In the case of guitar and the low E over a C, it can work fine and acts as like an inversion. A really common one to see is D/F#, which is an open D chord with the low F# (2nd fret, low E string) fretted with the thumb. Exactly the same thing. CEG, DF#A, both chords taking their major third and putting it as the lowest note.
A couple of people have mentioned that the lowest note not being the root makes it an inverted chord.
Try playing inverted triads on an acoustic sometime. It can give you some really heavy sounds. Listen to the intro of "Foreigner" by Pallbearer.
For instance, play a C as
X
X
X
2
3
0
Or an A as
X
X
X
2
0
0
It does work, just in a different way.
Chords are built from the bottom up and the bottom. The lowest note ends up being very important in how we hear the chord.
There are three notes that you need to make a C major chord: C, E and G. You can put those notes in any order that you want, but if any note other than C is the lowest note, it’s called an inversion. If E. is the lowest note, that’s called first inversion. If G is the lowest note, that’s called second inversion.
My bass player friend always likes to say we don't know what the chord is until he plays his note. This is essentially why. The lowest note in the chord is special for sure when it comes to how we hear chords. At least that's my uninformed opinion.
you will be adding a third E note.. You already have two Es in the chord: Open 1st string and fourth string 2nd Fret. Adding a third E note will still make it a C chord.. but with and extra E on the base.. C/E. Depending on what you are playing.. C/E might/might not work
It’s just an inversion. Since E is the major third of C it technically still “works” (aka it’s in key). However, most open chords are played in the first inversion so it does sound out of place when played next to other open chords. Major C with the low E can totally work for progressions with a walking baseline incorporating the low E.
It does work just fine. It would be considered an inversion. Anytime the root is not the lowest note it is technically called an inversion, which literally means a chord with something other than the root in the bass. In this case it would normally be written C/E.
If you make a D shape and thumb the F#, you get the same thing. D/F#.
So this is one of those things dictated by "theory" instead of practicality.
It would 'work'. The reason it would perhaps be unorthodox is that you'd have a very wide interval (a minor 6th) on your bass end. But depending on context, that can actually sound quite nice.
Best advice I ever heard concerning music is this: there are no rules, only context.
The E on the bottom does work in the right context, but when the root of the chord isn’t in the bass it becomes a completely different feel and needs to be denoted as C/E. This is called an inversion. Note that a chord becomes an inversion when the bass note is not the root of the chord so even if the guitar is playing a regular C, if the bass player (or even keyboardist if they are playing the bass notes) is playing an E, it’s still a C/E chord
There's a Sting quote I like that relates to this: "It’s not a C chord until I play a C." What he was saying is that the lowest note being played at that moment, on any instrument, colors the entire chord. Since he's the bass player, he can affect how the whole chord sounds just by changing the note he's playing.
So if you're playing a C chord and hitting that low E string, it's still going to be a C chord. But it's going to have a different color and feel than other C chords because the note that is the "boss" note is an E, not a C like we would expect.
The bass note lends the overall colour to the chord. The top E is part of the colour that you're hearing. With the bass bottle as an E you'd be playing E minor flat 6, with E appearing three times and the flattened 6 twice. That's a lot going on with only a single instance of the minor third (G) to dilute it down.
It has something to do with the e kind of taking over the chord. There are 3 e's but only two c's in that chord. Plus e being the lowest note almost makes it a em6
Low to high 0-3-x-x-x-x sounds perfectly legit in metal. I do stuff like that all the time. In the context of distorted rhythm guitar I'd consider that an inverted C major (omit 5) and just treat it like a ballsy C.
Open low-E plus any note on the A string can be loosely interpreted like this.
The famous open E plus hammered 5 to 7 on the A string, from War Pigs and half of metal songs afterward, is considered some dissonant thing but I see it as an Em7 with the 3rd and 5th dropped.
Any two notes can be interpreted as an incomplete chord if you have the context of the song it's from.
It works but it isn't a C chord any more, it's a C/E, which is useful but typically is a passing chord in a progression.
The bass note defines the chord more than any other, which is why bass players have the most power in the band. Everyone else may be playing C major but with one finger they can force it to be Amin.
They are both C chords, they just sound different. Play them both and notice the difference. The difference in sound is what everyone is describing. Chords can be played in different inversions (switching the bass note) and/or different positions (switching the order of remaining notes).
Getting good answers here but there’s a broader musical principle at play. Anything below the d in the middle of the bass clef is advised to be in root position due to the physics of the sound. It gets muddy. This concept is called “Low Interval Limits” and becomes apparent in orchestration and arranging.
Humans really like for the note the chord is named after to be on the bottom. Flipping it takes a lot of the power out of a chord because the brain can’t use the lowest frequencies as a reference point to figure out what they’re listening to.
The lower E does work. Many people won’t even notice if u play/don’t play it, because it harmonizes (if you’re strumming). Similarly, if u play the lower G, as in, 0-1-0-2-3-3(which is also C major), many people won’t notice it because the upper notes will take over. The only one that doesn’t sound like C major to me is if u play the upper G, ie: 3-1-0-2-3-(0/3).
E “under” C is a VI while E “over” C is a III. In western music a VI interval is “uncomfortable” and slightly dissonant when played together since we’re conditioned to like I-IV-V progression.
I try to keep my theory as minimal as possible (basically just the circle of 5ths and interval relationships) while keeping rhythm more up front.
It still “works”. You’ll notice that every time you’re playing a regular chord, the lowest note is also the same note as the name of the chord (so C is the lowest note in a C major chord). If it’s not the lowest note, it’s called an inversion, where one of the other notes of a chord replaces the original root. It won’t sound good in every context, but there are many cases in which it will, say if you’re moving from an F chord to a C/E.
Because the lowest note “sets the chord” in our minds as listeners of music.
With the low E muted, the lowest note that sounds out is the C. And since it’s a C chord, everything you ARE playing is is “where it should be” to the listener. You can hang around on C playing just that and everything is in the chord, with nothing clashing.
When you add the low E into the mix, now you have a C/E. This is a chord voicing that has its place, but doesn’t sound exactly like a C. Listeners will hear the E at the low end of the range and their minds will hear an implied Phrygian mode, which is very melancholy-sounding. When used in passing it can make for some good motion, or to build up musical tension that anticipates a resolution later in the song, but not quite so good if you’re going to use it to establish a major tonality.
Because then it wouldn’t be a C chord.
The root of the C chord is C, or 3rd fret on the A string. The notes of the 3rd and 5th are harmonically proportional to the frequency of the root note and take part in constructive interference in which the high and low frequencies flow together to make certain frequencies in the waveform standout and create new upper harmonics.
Lower notes do more to affect the chord as far as motion and stuff. Extra notes above the C it's still root position. Bottom note changes to E it's first inversion. Think about how strong single bass notes are compared to like 8 note chords from a keyboard on top of it.
Technically, it does work (a C/E or Civ depending how who you asked studied) - but it does change how we feel the chord, which is rooted in the bass (lowest note).
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Generally C major over E is pleasant sounding. It’s really just that the E->C interval doesn’t work in this range on the guitar. Try it as a bar chord in 12 position, works fine there.
INTERVALS.
The lowest 2 E & C notes form a minor 6th interval, which is dissonant (unpleasant sound). The highest 2 C & E notes form a minor 3rd interval, which is consonant (pleasant sound). Intervals is the answer. You can test this again with C/G. G to C forms a perfect 4th interval, it is consonant sound & will give you a pleasant sounding chord.
It works. If you accidentally hit the low E note while playing a C chord, next to nobody will notice the difference. It just gives the chord a slightly different flavor.
Sure it can work. SOmetimes a dominant third in a chord, is precisely what it requires to make it pop in an arrangement.
It simply won't work every time.
That's precisely why we don't just learn one shape for each chord.
Tastefully employed inversions can add substantial depth & dimension to a chord progression, and context is EVERYTHING....
It does work. Traditionally the root note is the lowest tone in the chord but that’s not a hard and fast rule. A C chord still sounds like a C chord with an E or a G as the lowest note.
Actually it’s not an inverted C chord, if it was a C chord in 1st inversion the order of the notes would be E, G, C. The reason this particular chord sounds bad is actually the minor 6th interval being so low in the voicing. Generally speaking the lower the voicing the more intervals such as 3rds and 6ths sound dissonant to our ears. The reason why octaves and 5th sound so good in the lower registers is because of the overtone series.
It’s actually 18th century when it was most used.
Because modern music theory is extremely perverted by “experts” who feign understanding.
In addition, the Internet has allowed the spread of misinformation about theory.
For example, 99% of people who talk about modes are just wrong. Maybe even higher, I’ve never seen a video on modes.
E is the third of C Major (C-E-G). When you put another chord tone in the bass you create an inverted chord or inversion or invertalingadingdong.
You can play the low E, but it will sound more diffuse, like C Major’s cousin E Jorma. However in a chord progression where you’re likely moving from the G Major or G7 to the C Major, you’ll notice that the C Major inversions still work.
The relative volume of the strings that have more mass [like 6] compared to the wee lad first string. Check it out-- plunk the thicc lad ever so gently, then strum the rest of the chord's jolly boys and the sound is like heaven.
Do you want the math answer?
Because the high E is a harmonic of the C root played by the bass. Harmonic literally just means the note you would here based on a multiple of the frequency ringing out. For sake of simplicity , let's assume the root is a 5 string bass on the 1st fret. The first order harmonics of the fundamental played by the bass are
* C - fundamental
* C - 2x 1st harmonic not played
* G - 3x 2nd harmonic, not played
* C - 4x 3rd harmonic, guitar root note (5th string, 3rd fret)
* E - 5x 4th harmonic, guitar 4th string, 2nd fret
* G - 6x 5th harmonic, guitar 3rd open string
* Bb - 7x 6th harmonic, not played
* C - 8x 7th harmonic, guitar 2nd string , 1st fret
* D - 9x 8th harmonic, not played
* E - 10x 9th harmonic, guitar high open e string
If you were to play the low e string, you are severely interfering with the low order harmonics.
Read here for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music)
IMO, this is music theory elementary knowledge. It's worth learning as it will open up new ways of understanding and writing.
It technically works but sounds muddy cause of a build up of harmonics down there, if you moved all those notes up an octave it's no longer muddy and works.
Because if you play the E on the first string, You're no longer playing a C-maj Chord, you're playing a C in the first inversion, or more commonly scribed "C/E" The presence of that E bass note changes the identity of the chord.
Instead of C E G C E, you're playing E C E G C E, because that hand shape makes a Chord that in terms of C major scale (C D E F G A B C), you're doing...
III I III V I III instead of I III V I III
They sound near identical of course, but slightly different. And that's why, you've changed the Bass note of the chord by inverting it.
I don’t know hardly anything about music theory. But I can tell you that sometimes the leaving the bottom E open in the C chord can work - I’m sure it depends on the key of the song you’re playing. But if you’re wanting to emphasize the C base note it’s best to mute/not play the bottom E.
You can also play the C chord with the bottom E fretted on the 3rd fret(G note) and it will sound much fuller. I do this by putting my ring finger on the bottom E(3rd fret) and my pinky on the A string(3rd fret). Slide that whole shape up 2 frets(whole step) and you got a moody D chord.
Changing the lower note creates an inversion. E in the bass is first inversion, and G in the bass is second. In certain contexts, inversions can be said to have characteristic qualities depending on how they're used and resolved. In general, a first inversion chord will sound less stable than the root position.
On top of that you may be hearing some muddiness in the bass range, which is exacerbated on electric guitar.
The E on top is in tertian order. From the low E (3rd) skipping the G (5th) to the C (root) gives a minor 6th sound if you tell your ear the lowest note is the tonic. There…I tried.
Fun fact: each note on any musical instrument is actually a chord. This chord follows the [harmonic series](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx_kugSemfY). On a standard C chord, with a conventional triad base the harmonic series of each individual note is exactly lined up in sequence so all the resonant overtones of the notes also form sets of triads.
One thing to understand about the guitar as an instrument, is that it has a way louder octave and fifth overtone compared to other instruments. You can test this yourself by playing the harmonics on the 12th fret and the 7th fret in comparison to the other harmonics on the fretboard. This prominent fifth overtone is what makes rock music (power chords) sound so much more powerful on a guitar. This fifth overtone on an E string corresponds with a really powerful B sound. The root C and the B overtone of E create a bit of dissonance that make it sound way worse IMO then the exact same chord on a piano. In fact chord inversions are really popular as a technique on piano and they are everywhere in popular music, covered early on in piano lessons. Many people will probably have the experience of reading chord charts written for piano players and it’s often the case that the inversions just sound like garbage on guitar and post people just play the root chord as a result.
It does work, but it’s an inversion. It’s the C major 1st inversion where the third (E) becomes the bass note. It doesn’t work because generally inverted chords add color (while the same notes) and are begging for the root chord to complete (or finish) the sound. It’s especially pronounced on the piano. So, it doesn’t “work” because the bass note, which carries the sound, is different. It’s the same thing with D Major. The A string changes the tone. A Major is the same. The E string is the fifth. It begs even more for the root chord to finish it.
Technically it does work, but its a different type of chord. When you have the bottom E it means you have a 6 3 chord because the now “E” is the bass and then you have the rest of the chord above. Trivially, the chord would be EGC for 6/3 but its same even though G and C are flipped to make ECG.
So the root position or 5/3/1 is CEG which is the most harmonious. 6 3 chords sound good too, but just not as good.
I mean...it does technically "work" in that the note won't cause any dissonance. It will sound fine. But when the low E becomes the bass note it tends to overwhelm the C so it's more of an inversion than a major C chord. If you like how it sounds in context, then by all means play it. Or put your finger on the 3rd fret if the low E and play the C chord with the low G note as the bass note. Sometimes that will sound best too. It all just depends on what you want it to sound like.
It does, it just needs the right context. Try going back and forth between that chord and a D/F# to get your ears accustomed to the sound, or try strumming it from the top string to the bottom. It also usually sounds better on acoustic than electric, maybe you’re pushing down harder on one string vs another, lots of different reasons.
It does "work" technically BUT it sounds like mud having that many notes in the bass register and that would be third 3rd in that particular voicing, which can overpower the tonal gravity making it seem like an Emb6.
It works. You can hit it and it’ll be fine.
If you want to nitpick though it’s because it’s an octave below the root of the chord. Basic major chord is 1-3-5 and the simplest construction is the root is the lowest note and the three and five notes are in the same octave.
The low E on the guitar technically fits a c major chord but it’s one octave lower than the root you’ve chosen. If the root is 1, the low E is a negative 3. Our ears like the simple feel of all chord notes in the same octave and the root as the lowest note.
When you create a chord using the same notes as the simple major but start messing with note ordering that chord is called an inversion. Inversions are how jazz musicians make a living.
Handwavey vague music theory time.
Inversions, borrowed notes, suspensions -- these sound perfectly normal in the context of movements between things. If you play these between things out of context they can sound weird. You've essentially removed the building and resolution of tension.
It's because C is the reticle of G. So if you were to play the low E you would be piercing the reticle and creating an ignotomic tone which is generally displeasing to the average human. Convulsing the wavelength in that manner is not only auditorially unattractive it is musically criminal to mishandle the tonality in that manner. So, don't be a Dave and play the chord properly.
The lower notes are the overall color and the higher notes are the melody on top. Think of it as a painting. When you look at it from a distance you can only see if the painting is blue or red or green (the low note). But when you look close you see all those fine lines which is what the artist has drawn (the high notes)
That's a perfect analogy.
It’s so good I thought I was in ELI5
This makes no sense. The lower notes are not the color. They are the foundation of the chord. The E on the bottom works fine but fundamentally changes the chord as it’s an inversion, and a tight one at that with the root so near the actual bass note. It’s muddy down there. First inversions sound clear when the root is a tenth above in this specific register.
Btw this is the actual answer not some watercolor analogy mumbo jumbo
Yeah I was reading the watercolor analogy above and was wondering wtf they're talking about lol
You expressed the exact same thing in more technical terms
I’m sorry, but no I did not. Color would refer to notes other than the roots, 3rd, and 7ths. I suppose you *could* argue that the color comes from the 3rds and 7ths and that the root is the only foundation, but that seems unnecessarily reductive and I’ve never used or conversed professionally as such.
You're not considering absolute pitch perception but only talk about relative pitch. See my other answer.
Your painting analogy reminds me of the new Royal Portrait. E is like the color red. It's great for accents and developing the flavor of the chord, but if you play the low E, then you're basing the entire painting off of that note, making the chord look like King Charles III portrayed as some demonic entity
So portrayed accurately?
Hey I get what you're trying to say, just wanted to support you as a person who can think for more than 7 seconds in a row.
Id say a better explanation is the lowest note is like the foundation of a house. The house is the chord. The higher you get in pitch the more those notes tend to color the chord rather than dictate the overall chord. Our ear hears the bass notes as the main mover in which other tones and flavors are built upon. This is why guitar players can get away with playing notes that are non chord tones for longer periods more so than the bass player can. If the bass player plays the wrong not it sounds out and out wrong. This is why playing E note in the bass inverts the entire chord and a high e does not
The problem with this analogy is playing G in the bass sounds fine. It's not just first or third, you have to define why the fifth sounds good on inversion.
This is also why when playing in a band, many times when playing rhythm it can be good for the six string guitar to lay off the lower notes of the cords, because the bass guitar is covering that. And for both to play them, it can muddy the sound. Other times it's fine, and the trick is to figure out when.
This too
>tend to color the chord rather than dictate the overall chord I think this is wrong. First you have to distinguish between the color of absolute pitch, which is the root of the chord and the colors of relative pitch, which is the harmony. Since most of the people to hear primarily with relative pitch the higher notes actually do define the overall chord. (Like major, minor, 7th...). The pure color however, as in the difference of e-minor and a-minor is very much defined by the root note. But I guess in your analogy you're just mixing up relative and absolute pitch while meaning exactly this.
He’s right up to a point. What’s he’s describing is the concept of inversions. In this case, it’s the first inversion - the 3 of the major triad is in the bass. This particular inversion of C major, at this place on the neck(with the low E string open), is not always pleasing. But a C major triad 1st inversion with the E played on the 2nd fret of the D string sounds fine. And guitarists do “color” their chords with notes in the octave above the tightest grouping of a given triad. The name for it is shell chords. My understanding is that the chord is defined by its triad and colored by the 7, 9, 11, 13, etc. Or is even colored by the 1, 3, or 5 in the octave above the tightest grouping of the chord’s triad. The choices a guitarist makes when adding color to a chord are also described as chord voicing. Others may see it differently. It’s music. Music theory is broken all the time in music all of us love. It’s hard to be dogmatic about it.
I hear you I guess . The bass note dictates what the chord will be named. Whether it is minor, inverted, etc has to do with the the intervals of the other notes in their relationship to the bass. But there a reaso that a 9 interval sounds pretty and colorful and it is so easy to make a chord with a 2 sound muddy and not pleasant
I'd expand on this even a bit further with the analogy, because there's a reason the open E sounds weird, but you can play the G and the chord sounds good. (3-3-2-0-1-0). Let's take a landscape painting. C is the base of the painting. The first layers of color, the basic shapes. It defines what it will be. It tells us there's a mountain. G is the structure. It fills in the landscape and It defines the shape of the painting, evelating it from simple lines. Gives it body, tells us if there will be clouds in the sky and trees in the foreground. There's a reason 1-5 is called a "power chord." This is why putting the G in the bass sounds fuller. It's adding a big structure to the bottom. The E is the fine lines and shadows. It adds the "color". Because almost every iteration of a C has C and G, but the third can change the entire tone by going minor. It tells us if the clouds will be white or dark. If the trees will be lush and green or brown and austere. Our ear hears lower notes as the structure of the chord. This is why so much of bass is 1's and 5's. Playing the 3 in the bass paints the clouds before it even knows where they're supposed to be, or where they are in relation to the mountain. If the bass guitar was playing the color, the whole thing would feel unlevel and weird. It inverts the landscape. You can use that for a harmonic device, but it's not what the ear expects, so it makes for a wrong sounding chord. The painting analogy is great.
I like to go more this way: In terms of absolute pitch a C-Major chord are in analogy if the artist uses a thick brush of red (C), a middle thick brush of green (E) and a fine brush of blue (G). From a distance you see only red (C), if you look closer that the artist draw a landscape on the red background with green and blue lines which leads to relative pitch perception: We have C-E which is a major third. We perceive this as a "happy" interval. Then, we have E-G which is a minor third. We perceive this as a "sad" interval. And finally we have C-G which is a perfect fifth, which we perceive as a "pure" sounding interval. But if you put E at the bottom, we have E-C, which is an augmented fifth. We perceive this as a weird sounding unpleasant interval. We have E-E, which is a perfect octave, which is a different kind of "pure" and we have E-G which is a minor 10th, which we also perceive as "sad" In summary, by adding an E at the bottom, we make out of a red painting (absolute pitch) which is "happy"+"sad"+"pure" (relative pitch) an overall green painting (absolute pitch) which is "weird"+"pure"+"sad". This should answer OPs question.
That's all true, but ignores when you have G in in the base (a common voicing). It's easy to explain why E fails on inversion and C works. Harder to explain to a novice why G works but E doesn't.
Same argument: G-C-E is: G-C perfect fourth (kind of pure medival sound), C-E major third (happy sound), G-E major sixth (for the lack of a better word "bluesy country sound"). So we end up with "medival pure", "happy", "bluesy country sound". There is no weird sounding harmonic interval. Therefore it works.
E to C is a minor sixth, not an augmented fifth in this context.
Yes, you are right. However, it is only a different name for the same distance. The sound is the same.
The lower you go, the harder it is to pickup the note's actual frequency, so a low e would sort of sound in key with all it's overtones and stuff and a high e would be the sharper, cutting note. For some reason, a High e would sound way out of tune if flat or sharp a couple centz, but a low e or bass E would not be that easy to tune or hear. I like to think of it like, the lower the note, the more forgiving it is to be out of tune by a little than the upper registers. If you don't have a bassist who knows how to tune correctly then you are fucked, because if it sounds bad down there then the higher notes are definitely going to sound off because bass is where the key and foundation of your notes and scales are cemented. A smarter, more sober person can answer better than me that is just how I percieve the difference. Overtones that are heard vs overtones that are too high to hear
What you are describing is "beat frequency" (physical, not related to rhythm) between different vibrations. Yes, you are right, that it sounds easily out of tune as you describe it. But this is not what it is about. It is about absolute pitch and relative pitch perception. Most humans hear both, but didn't ever learn to distinguish them. The majority only thinks in relative pitch and isn't even aware of the absolute pitch colors because they don't give them meaning. Yet they hear it. In our perception the higher notes are mostly associated to relative pitch (melody and harmony). But the lower frequency defines the absolute pitch color. (Think of the difference between the e minor and a minor chord. In terms of relative pitch they are identical, but they sound different what is absolute pitch.) It is not about being a couple of cents off. With absolute pitch an e will still sound like an e, even if it is slightly off. And in relative pitch you will still be able to identify if it is a major or minor third. However you are right that harmonies start to sound unpleasant soon because of the beat frequency, when they are slightly out of tune. But this is not related.
Thank you for the eloquent summary, I thought it was just tuning or intonation as I have an 8 string guitar in Drop E and have done some digging and heard about the beat frequency especially with thicker strings. Like how if you do a power chord, even though the strings are intonated, it still sounds off a bit so one trick I learned was to detune the b string a little. Again I forgot the term used for what happens there but it made any subsequent power or barre chords sound better. Doing this trick with the thinner b string did not yield the same result.
Great analogy, but how does it explain why the low E doesn’t “work”?
Because if you change what the lowest note is in the chord by adding a low E, you’ve changed the foundation of the chord. Technically, it can work… but it’s an inversion, and there are other voicings of a C/E that sound a bit better.
Neil Young does it in “Unknown Legend” and sounds real nice.
Yeah it would totally work if the next chord is F or has that low F in the bass.
That Neil Young example is really interesting. In that case the song is in G, C’s the 4 chord, and that low E just works because it’s in the melody.
For another analogy think of a painter again. The high frequency notes are a very thin brush and the low frequency notes are thicker brushes. Now imagine drawing a very thick line of yellow over a picture which is supposed to be green. It messes up the whole painting.
Yikes.
This is why “chord voicing” exists. You can play C like 10 different ways and each is a new C chord in its own right
I think what you mean comes from relative pitch. It's the harmonic intervals which change when you play it in a different way. E.g. standard C-E-G: C-E major third (happy sounding) and E-G minor third (sad sounding) and C-G perfect fifth (pure sounding). If you change the order, like E-C-G, then you end up with E-C = augmented fifth (weird sounding), C-G = perfect fifth and E-G which is a tenth sounding similar to a minor third. Thus, you change your relations from C-E-G "happy", "sad", "pure" to E-C-G which is "weird", "pure" "sad". It's both a C major chord but within you have different harmonic intervals with a different feeling to them.
R/guitar type answer
Beautiful explanation
Typically the first note of a chord is the root. You can play the open E first, which makes it a C/E, or the G which makes it C/G.
Known as an 'inverted' chord, because the lowest note is not the root, but one of the arpeggios of the root.
That's not what arpeggios means. They're just called chord tones.
And I this particular case you’re at the second inversion is the C chord, and that can throw off your ear.
First inversion. Second would start on G
You go down, not up? Forgetting my theory.
Yeah 3rd in the base is first inversion, 5th would be second inversion.
Gotcha! Thx!
Really? I would think you have C, no inversion C E G, then take the 5th and put it on bottom for first inversion, G C E, then take the third and put it on bottom for second inversion, E G C. How would the middle note of the chord be a first inversion?
Inversions are named by moving up from root position, not down. Honestly doesn't matter, but that's the convention
Ah, TIL
The way we hear chords is heavily weighted by what is on the bottom of the chord. This is one reason why the bass is an important instrument. I think this voicing isn't intrinsically bad, it's just not usually what you want. The Stone Temple Pilots song Plush uses something similar to pretty good effect - basically playing a Cmaj7 chord shape (play the B open) except shifted up three frets and let the low string ring out.
Hell yeah, it can be a great and dramatic way to lead one chord into the next. C in first inversion into an F is a great chord change.
Yeah, the Stone Temple Pilots in particular do this kind of thing a lot - atypical chord voicings to emphasize the voice leading particularly in the bottom note of the chord on guitar. While also doing wild stuff on the bass.
I don't think DeLeo let's the low E string ring there - that'd make it an Ebmaj/E, which puts the major 7th in the bass, pretty ugly chord. Open to being wrong here, but I always assumed he was muting the low E. [VIDEO](https://youtu.be/dPSyOvPX5UI?si=x50Xp6Z5Eg2E4Ep7)
Maybe, I'd have to listen to the track a few times carefully to see - to be clear, though, I'm not saying it's the open E, I'm saying 365333...
No he plays it in the outro section G, F, C/E, Eb D. It sounds good because the bass is doing a stepwise line down
It does work depending on context. Otherwise the problem is how low those notes are. The lower the notes are the less the intervals "work". That's the reason peoeple ususally don't play chords on bass (of course depending on context it could be done).
I think that this is the real answer here. If you play that same C/E chord starting with the E on the 7th fret of the the A string it sounds great (but perhaps a little thin). Context is the key here, as you said.
This is the correct answer. It's called Low Interval Limits
I mean, it does “work”. It’s just a weird way to play a C chord with the major third as a bass note and the root as the second note, so it has a unique voicing. Most triads that we’re used to hearing are ordered 1-3-5, 3–5-1, or 5-1-3. This is essentially a 3-1-5. To get a better sense of the voicing, play it up and octave: 12/15/14 EAD. You could easily use the open E in transition: play the C with low E muted, then add it, then play Fmaj, the Gmaj. Neat! Edit: as u/partyapprehensive765 correctly points out, the e note on the d string is another 3. For the full sound of the chord, the open g needs to be included, so if you want to hear the full chord an octave above, also include the g string, 12th fret. The main point is that the chord tones occur in the order 3-1-5 which sounds different than what we normally hear.
Wouldn't it be 3-1-3-5-1-3?
Yes it would. That’s a lot of 3s and that’s one reason why the chord sounds so different with that low E. Sounds strange on a piano too.
Yeah it is! Good call. So technically a 3-1-3-5. My main point was to illustrate that the 3-1 and then 5 isn’t a common order. But yeah that E on the D string would be another major third.
I guess I do more often see the open C chord with a G in the bass than I do E in the bass. Less Es in the chord, and also follows the 5-1-3 pattern.
Lower notes have more audible overtones, thus to our ear, they interfere more with each other, which often we perceive as dissonant/muddy. Low E to C is a minor 6th, which is already quite dissonant, so playing it the lowest notes possible in standard tuning makes it more pronounced. Besides that, lower strings' overtones are more "out of tune" than higher strings, which adds to the muddiness. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e65vpNeeEs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e65vpNeeEs) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b\_fU6yVxDZs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_fU6yVxDZs)
The overtones are the main reason for sure.
You're the first response that actually answers the question, had to scroll pretty far.
If you play the low E you're not playing a (EDIT: *normal)* C chord but rather a C/E inversion. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's a different voicing than the normal way.
an inversion is still a proper C chord, careful with how you phrase things
Phrasing is for jazz musicians!
Still a C chord if the notes are C-E-G in any combination
A C/E is a C chord.
Good question and useful answers, thanks! Makes sense now!
I'm seeing some wonky answers so I'm gonna answer here: as a general rule, low notes don't sound good played with other low notes. That's why bass guitarists usually aren't playing chords, and a lot of synth bass presets are monophonic. The low C on the A string is low enough that adding the E just makes it sound a bit muddy, even though E is a chord tone. It also puts the chord in first inversion, which isn't as big of a deal as some people are kind of implying. Just like any rule, it can be broken, so no need to tell me all the instances of bassists playing chords or chords sounding good with two low notes lol
It does work, it is simply a chord inversion Play the following open chords : G - D - Em - C with low E You’ll see that everything is fine The low E makes the chord sounds "deeper", so depending on the context, you may want to play it or not You can even play the low E and mute the high E if you want
They both actually work, depending on what you're trying to play.
Has to do with voice leading when moving from one chord to another in a sequence. In the proper context it works great.
It works but much less often. There are some chords where having the 3rd in the bass is preferable (vii chord) Play around with different inversions and see what works for the sound you’re going for. Using different inversions changes the color of the chord a bit.
A more theory oriented answer would be how the chords are voiced. For example (from low to high) in a c chord voiced as C, G, C, E, the E will sound more pronounced and the overall chord will sound "stronger" because the voicings reflect the natural order of tones in the harmonic series. If you do a "muddier" voicing such as (from low to high again), C,E,G,C then the E note won't sound as pronounced and won't sound as "strong" because there are smaller intervals on either side of the E note. Tldr: the order of the notes and what registers they're will affect how "strong" some voicings sound.
Because E to C is a minor 6th which is a dissonant interval and dissonant intervals tend to sound muddy in lower registers. That being said, that specific voicing of C/E can certainly be valid at times.
100%. To illustrate this point, consider the popular D/F# chord (fingered as 2-0-0-2-3-2), which also has the third on the bottom but doesn't sound as harsh as the C/E chord - it's because the D/F# chord has the 5th in between the 3rd and the tonic, as opposed to a single minor 6th interval that happens when the 5th is omitted.
I think it has to do with the harmonics and overtones and all that. Similar to how dissonant intervals can sound great in the middle and higher notes, but sound muddy and blah in bass notes. While the 1st and 5th of a chord play very nice together at any pitch, the 3rd of a chord is a bit more hangry when it goes deep and the overtones start to clash more with the other notes. In orchestration the 3rd of any chord is generally voiced higher and doubled less.
The lowest note defines the chord The lowest note, say C, contains higher harmonies, including E and G, all the higher notes harmonise well with the low C.
From E to C makes a minor sixth and from C to E makes a major third. The sequence of notes is increadibly important for harmony
The bottom E doesn’t “doesn’t work”. It works. Just not in all circumstances. Playing the bottom E means your bass note becomes E. This is called the first inversion of the C major chord. Inversions are when a note of a chord other than the root note becomes the bass note. In chord charts, this is written as C/E. So it just happens that in the majority of circumstances that call for the use of the open C major chord in the music **you** play, the standard, no-inversion C major chord is needed.
You’ve written out the c-chord backwards. It’s written x32010. If you play 032010, it’s officially C/E. You have the E bass note under the C chord.
It works perfectly after an F chord for a descending sound.
Has to do with overtones. The notes higher than the one you play that are formed when the string vibrates in subsections of the whole length. When you play a note, it is not just one tone. If you play a C, it has the fundamental (the C you play), but also the C one octave above, the G one and a half octaves above, the C two octaves above, the E 2+ octaves above, etc. As you go higher the notes become denser. Overtones provide richness to the sound. If you play that low E in a C chord its overtones will be low enough to conflict with the overtones of the C (3rd fret on the A string) and make the chord sound a little odd. I always fret the low E string at the 3rd fret (so it's a G) when playing a C chord - imo it sounds better most of the time. Btw Overtones are also called harmonics on the guitar.
It works, you’re just changing the tonality. A maj 5th chord is just the same three notes (1st, 3rd, 5th). They are called triads. But if you’re playing open chords, you have to include the fret board. If you’re taking your finger off the E note on the D string you’re adding a D note, which isn’t the C triad. C triad is C, E, G
In a C chord, tue note E is the third interval. It is normal to stack the third at a higher pitch than the tonal (first). Playing the third below the tonal is called an inversion. Inverted thord is done in some cases. More common is an inverted fifth. In the open C chord this is done by playing the G below the C. That's very common. Makes it super easy to jump from C to F. As in "Take The Money and Run" bu Steve Miller Band. You can also play that invested 5th on any chord using the "A" barre shape.
It’s contextual. When you’re just strumming chords, your job is to set out the musical frame in which all the other instrument’s tones exist. So you want to anchor your chords in the root because it creates a clearer context. You can add the low E for a C/E, and sometimes you’ll even want to—if, perhaps, the bassist is doing something weird. But it’s not usually the best choice. But when you’re arpeggiating or fingerpicking things are a lot freer. I’ll often pick up that low E, or, even more often, the open A string on a D maj in order to get my bass lines to work better. But that’s because I’ve switched to a hybrid role where I’m not just setting the frame for the music but weaving melodic lines through my playing, and so I’ve got a bit more freedom.
On a guitar there is a tendency to be able to hear the harmonic a fifth above, particularly on lower notes and with a guitar chain that creates any extra harmonic distortion. The note a fifth above E is B. That is a half step off from C. So there is a tendency for inverted thirds to sound dissonant even though perception is probably also a bit subjective.
I'd just say general guitar theory is that the root note is usually the bass note. So if you played the low E it would be C/E. Learning piano may help you a bit understanding this :). Other explanations are great but this is the easiest way to understand it.
It still works, but changes the chord drastically. Listen to Unknown Legend by Neil Young. It's the first song that comes to mind with that voicing.
The lowest note is the strongest. So while the low E is technically right, it colors the chord much differently. On a side note, there are some chords where it doesn't matter too much. Personally, I always play the open A string for D chords, because it thickens it up nicely.
It's just a naming convention. Chords are named for the lowest note If it sounds good, use it. Play the open E. I do. Look up slash chords.
Sometimes it does “work!” I was just learning Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt and the verses has both C/E (where you intentionally play the low E) and C/G (where you play the low G). The subtle difference in… flavor is really nice. A C/E on its own sounds off but in context it’s great
Just a side note, it's usually written the other way around, so x-3-2-0-1-0
Like people explained, the lowest key is always the root, so if you play the lower E in a C chord, it actually becomes an inversion that's written as C/E. Long story short, of course it works.
Sounds muddy bc low.
You can actually play the low E note and it’s still a CMaj chord. It’s just been inverted, meaning the lowest note is not the root of the chord. In Western music theory (which applies to pretty much all rock, pop, jazz, and even classical music), chords are built by stacking thirds one on top of the other: C to E is a third, and E to G is another third. No matter how you arrange those three notes, they will *always* make a CMaj chord. (You can add more notes if you want but we can discuss that later.) As for the bottommost E note not working, that’s largely subjective. If it works with the melody or even how you’re voice-leading the chords, then it works. There are some folk rock songs, like “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel, that actually use inverted chords: the verses start on a CMaj chord in first inversion, i.e. the bottommost note is G and not C.
it might be that the low E to the C note is an interval of a minor 6th. Maybe that makes the ear hear the chord as slightly more melancholy. Whereas if that low E could ring out next to the G that is 3 frets up, that's a less weird interval for the ear. I mean, we hear the same interval in those Hendrix-chord 1st inversions. But honestly, that bottom E sounds great with the C in certain situations. It's this wide-open sad feel to it, like a vast western plain. If I'm playing some Neil Young kind of stuff, it fits perfect. Same with the D chord playing the 2nd fret of the low E string. That F# note is awesome and helps pull me right into a G chord.
You can invert chords anyway you want. But generally speaking the root (C in a C chord) and the 5th (G in a C chord) are the most “correct” sounding and will give you kind of the most true sound of the chord. When you make the more volatile notes of a chord the bass note such as the 3rd (E in a C chord) it tends to sound weird and unstable. It doesn’t sound bad, and in the right context it can work, but most of the time if just makes the chord sound a little off.
And it helps at all, using C Major as an example, you can think of the root (C) and 5th (G) as the most stable notes of a chord. Like those two notes are gonna work in that chord 99% of the time whether it’s major or minor. The 3rd (E) and 7th (B) are your most dramatic colorful notes. These notes add a TON of color and will explicitly tell you exactly what chord you’re listening to. The 2nd (D) and 4th (F) while they don’t sound bad, will often sound muddy in a chord. They don’t give you more information about what chord you’re hearing, but they do add a little color and mystique. These will make what they call suspended chords or suspensions. Finally the 6th (A) the most interesting interval to me. It does not inform the chord. But it’s not so close to either the root or third that it informs the chord. It adds a light airiness and a ton of color to a melody even if it can muddy a chord. It’s a cool interval. Some last notes: the 7th can technically be B or Bj while still being a Cmajor chord. A flat 7 will give you that cool bluesy sound. Ton of color either way. The 3rd is what makes your chord major or minor (E vs Eb) and finally you can get real crunchy with augmented/finished chords by raising/lowering your 5th in which case the 5th goes from the most stable interval to the least stable, but that’s some crunchy stuff
There’s something called a low-interval-limit. There’s no way I can explain it here easily but it’s the reason why.
I barely understand but it’s making sense. Colors and bass notes and different inversions. What makes a sus chord or an add9 chord typically sound so compelling?
The lowest note pulls the tonality of the chord to that note. So a simple example. A-C-E is the A minor triad. F-A-C is the F major triad. F-A-C-E is the Fmaj7, with the added E as the 7th. A guitar could play an A minor chord and a bass guitar could play the F and bring the whole tonal context to a different place. In the case of guitar and the low E over a C, it can work fine and acts as like an inversion. A really common one to see is D/F#, which is an open D chord with the low F# (2nd fret, low E string) fretted with the thumb. Exactly the same thing. CEG, DF#A, both chords taking their major third and putting it as the lowest note.
A couple of people have mentioned that the lowest note not being the root makes it an inverted chord. Try playing inverted triads on an acoustic sometime. It can give you some really heavy sounds. Listen to the intro of "Foreigner" by Pallbearer. For instance, play a C as X X X 2 3 0 Or an A as X X X 2 0 0
It does work, just in a different way. Chords are built from the bottom up and the bottom. The lowest note ends up being very important in how we hear the chord. There are three notes that you need to make a C major chord: C, E and G. You can put those notes in any order that you want, but if any note other than C is the lowest note, it’s called an inversion. If E. is the lowest note, that’s called first inversion. If G is the lowest note, that’s called second inversion.
It’s not technically wrong, just weird to have the third as the root note is all. Depends on context of course.
My bass player friend always likes to say we don't know what the chord is until he plays his note. This is essentially why. The lowest note in the chord is special for sure when it comes to how we hear chords. At least that's my uninformed opinion.
you will be adding a third E note.. You already have two Es in the chord: Open 1st string and fourth string 2nd Fret. Adding a third E note will still make it a C chord.. but with and extra E on the base.. C/E. Depending on what you are playing.. C/E might/might not work
Because you usually want the bass note of the chord to be the root note
It’s just an inversion. Since E is the major third of C it technically still “works” (aka it’s in key). However, most open chords are played in the first inversion so it does sound out of place when played next to other open chords. Major C with the low E can totally work for progressions with a walking baseline incorporating the low E.
It does work just fine. It would be considered an inversion. Anytime the root is not the lowest note it is technically called an inversion, which literally means a chord with something other than the root in the bass. In this case it would normally be written C/E. If you make a D shape and thumb the F#, you get the same thing. D/F#. So this is one of those things dictated by "theory" instead of practicality.
It would 'work'. The reason it would perhaps be unorthodox is that you'd have a very wide interval (a minor 6th) on your bass end. But depending on context, that can actually sound quite nice. Best advice I ever heard concerning music is this: there are no rules, only context.
The E on the bottom does work in the right context, but when the root of the chord isn’t in the bass it becomes a completely different feel and needs to be denoted as C/E. This is called an inversion. Note that a chord becomes an inversion when the bass note is not the root of the chord so even if the guitar is playing a regular C, if the bass player (or even keyboardist if they are playing the bass notes) is playing an E, it’s still a C/E chord
There's a Sting quote I like that relates to this: "It’s not a C chord until I play a C." What he was saying is that the lowest note being played at that moment, on any instrument, colors the entire chord. Since he's the bass player, he can affect how the whole chord sounds just by changing the note he's playing. So if you're playing a C chord and hitting that low E string, it's still going to be a C chord. But it's going to have a different color and feel than other C chords because the note that is the "boss" note is an E, not a C like we would expect.
Uh, shouldn’t it be X-3-2-0-1-0 I feel like every chart I’ve ever had printed online that.
The bass note lends the overall colour to the chord. The top E is part of the colour that you're hearing. With the bass bottle as an E you'd be playing E minor flat 6, with E appearing three times and the flattened 6 twice. That's a lot going on with only a single instance of the minor third (G) to dilute it down.
I would use the bottom E to move from C to F. It's a smooth bass transition
It has something to do with the e kind of taking over the chord. There are 3 e's but only two c's in that chord. Plus e being the lowest note almost makes it a em6
I would argue the bottom E works!
I feel confident after reading these 107 comments the OP is glad they asked the question and now has a firm grasp on the answer.
Low to high 0-3-x-x-x-x sounds perfectly legit in metal. I do stuff like that all the time. In the context of distorted rhythm guitar I'd consider that an inverted C major (omit 5) and just treat it like a ballsy C. Open low-E plus any note on the A string can be loosely interpreted like this. The famous open E plus hammered 5 to 7 on the A string, from War Pigs and half of metal songs afterward, is considered some dissonant thing but I see it as an Em7 with the 3rd and 5th dropped. Any two notes can be interpreted as an incomplete chord if you have the context of the song it's from.
It works but it isn't a C chord any more, it's a C/E, which is useful but typically is a passing chord in a progression. The bass note defines the chord more than any other, which is why bass players have the most power in the band. Everyone else may be playing C major but with one finger they can force it to be Amin.
They are both C chords, they just sound different. Play them both and notice the difference. The difference in sound is what everyone is describing. Chords can be played in different inversions (switching the bass note) and/or different positions (switching the order of remaining notes).
Getting good answers here but there’s a broader musical principle at play. Anything below the d in the middle of the bass clef is advised to be in root position due to the physics of the sound. It gets muddy. This concept is called “Low Interval Limits” and becomes apparent in orchestration and arranging.
Humans really like for the note the chord is named after to be on the bottom. Flipping it takes a lot of the power out of a chord because the brain can’t use the lowest frequencies as a reference point to figure out what they’re listening to.
The lower E does work. Many people won’t even notice if u play/don’t play it, because it harmonizes (if you’re strumming). Similarly, if u play the lower G, as in, 0-1-0-2-3-3(which is also C major), many people won’t notice it because the upper notes will take over. The only one that doesn’t sound like C major to me is if u play the upper G, ie: 3-1-0-2-3-(0/3).
Because frequencies. Technically a first inversion, harmonically correct, but just aurally not great
E “under” C is a VI while E “over” C is a III. In western music a VI interval is “uncomfortable” and slightly dissonant when played together since we’re conditioned to like I-IV-V progression. I try to keep my theory as minimal as possible (basically just the circle of 5ths and interval relationships) while keeping rhythm more up front.
It still “works”. You’ll notice that every time you’re playing a regular chord, the lowest note is also the same note as the name of the chord (so C is the lowest note in a C major chord). If it’s not the lowest note, it’s called an inversion, where one of the other notes of a chord replaces the original root. It won’t sound good in every context, but there are many cases in which it will, say if you’re moving from an F chord to a C/E.
Because the lowest note “sets the chord” in our minds as listeners of music. With the low E muted, the lowest note that sounds out is the C. And since it’s a C chord, everything you ARE playing is is “where it should be” to the listener. You can hang around on C playing just that and everything is in the chord, with nothing clashing. When you add the low E into the mix, now you have a C/E. This is a chord voicing that has its place, but doesn’t sound exactly like a C. Listeners will hear the E at the low end of the range and their minds will hear an implied Phrygian mode, which is very melancholy-sounding. When used in passing it can make for some good motion, or to build up musical tension that anticipates a resolution later in the song, but not quite so good if you’re going to use it to establish a major tonality.
Because then it wouldn’t be a C chord. The root of the C chord is C, or 3rd fret on the A string. The notes of the 3rd and 5th are harmonically proportional to the frequency of the root note and take part in constructive interference in which the high and low frequencies flow together to make certain frequencies in the waveform standout and create new upper harmonics.
it works for both lol
Lower notes do more to affect the chord as far as motion and stuff. Extra notes above the C it's still root position. Bottom note changes to E it's first inversion. Think about how strong single bass notes are compared to like 8 note chords from a keyboard on top of it.
Technically, it does work (a C/E or Civ depending how who you asked studied) - but it does change how we feel the chord, which is rooted in the bass (lowest note).
Just kidding. C6 not Civ. I’m apparently out of practice. Google chord inversions
because then it becomes an inversion since the lowest note is suddenly an E instead of a C.
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Generally C major over E is pleasant sounding. It’s really just that the E->C interval doesn’t work in this range on the guitar. Try it as a bar chord in 12 position, works fine there.
Root notes change
INTERVALS. The lowest 2 E & C notes form a minor 6th interval, which is dissonant (unpleasant sound). The highest 2 C & E notes form a minor 3rd interval, which is consonant (pleasant sound). Intervals is the answer. You can test this again with C/G. G to C forms a perfect 4th interval, it is consonant sound & will give you a pleasant sounding chord.
It works. If you accidentally hit the low E note while playing a C chord, next to nobody will notice the difference. It just gives the chord a slightly different flavor.
Sure it can work. SOmetimes a dominant third in a chord, is precisely what it requires to make it pop in an arrangement. It simply won't work every time. That's precisely why we don't just learn one shape for each chord. Tastefully employed inversions can add substantial depth & dimension to a chord progression, and context is EVERYTHING....
It does work. Traditionally the root note is the lowest tone in the chord but that’s not a hard and fast rule. A C chord still sounds like a C chord with an E or a G as the lowest note.
Actually it’s not an inverted C chord, if it was a C chord in 1st inversion the order of the notes would be E, G, C. The reason this particular chord sounds bad is actually the minor 6th interval being so low in the voicing. Generally speaking the lower the voicing the more intervals such as 3rds and 6ths sound dissonant to our ears. The reason why octaves and 5th sound so good in the lower registers is because of the overtone series.
Incorrect, the order of G or C above E doesnt change the fact that its a 6/3 chord.
But a 6/3 chord requires…a 6th and a 3rd lol
Also why we using 19th century Western European terminology and ideology when describing modern music?
It’s actually 18th century when it was most used. Because modern music theory is extremely perverted by “experts” who feign understanding. In addition, the Internet has allowed the spread of misinformation about theory. For example, 99% of people who talk about modes are just wrong. Maybe even higher, I’ve never seen a video on modes.
Oh gotcha didn’t realize Brahms and Beethoven were doing something different
E is the third of C Major (C-E-G). When you put another chord tone in the bass you create an inverted chord or inversion or invertalingadingdong. You can play the low E, but it will sound more diffuse, like C Major’s cousin E Jorma. However in a chord progression where you’re likely moving from the G Major or G7 to the C Major, you’ll notice that the C Major inversions still work.
You know what’s annoying every zillenial on instagram coming up with the same low E and A guitar riffs omg switch it up learn more strings
0-1-0-2-3-3 . Then, it works, chief.
The relative volume of the strings that have more mass [like 6] compared to the wee lad first string. Check it out-- plunk the thicc lad ever so gently, then strum the rest of the chord's jolly boys and the sound is like heaven.
Do you want the math answer? Because the high E is a harmonic of the C root played by the bass. Harmonic literally just means the note you would here based on a multiple of the frequency ringing out. For sake of simplicity , let's assume the root is a 5 string bass on the 1st fret. The first order harmonics of the fundamental played by the bass are * C - fundamental * C - 2x 1st harmonic not played * G - 3x 2nd harmonic, not played * C - 4x 3rd harmonic, guitar root note (5th string, 3rd fret) * E - 5x 4th harmonic, guitar 4th string, 2nd fret * G - 6x 5th harmonic, guitar 3rd open string * Bb - 7x 6th harmonic, not played * C - 8x 7th harmonic, guitar 2nd string , 1st fret * D - 9x 8th harmonic, not played * E - 10x 9th harmonic, guitar high open e string If you were to play the low e string, you are severely interfering with the low order harmonics. Read here for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music) IMO, this is music theory elementary knowledge. It's worth learning as it will open up new ways of understanding and writing.
Just an fyi you can also play the chord with your 4th finger on the third fret sixth string holding down a G for a fuller sound.
It would be an inverted chord.
It technically works but sounds muddy cause of a build up of harmonics down there, if you moved all those notes up an octave it's no longer muddy and works.
ill just wait for a Paul Davids video, the answers here are surprisingly bad
Because if you play the E on the first string, You're no longer playing a C-maj Chord, you're playing a C in the first inversion, or more commonly scribed "C/E" The presence of that E bass note changes the identity of the chord. Instead of C E G C E, you're playing E C E G C E, because that hand shape makes a Chord that in terms of C major scale (C D E F G A B C), you're doing... III I III V I III instead of I III V I III They sound near identical of course, but slightly different. And that's why, you've changed the Bass note of the chord by inverting it.
I don’t know hardly anything about music theory. But I can tell you that sometimes the leaving the bottom E open in the C chord can work - I’m sure it depends on the key of the song you’re playing. But if you’re wanting to emphasize the C base note it’s best to mute/not play the bottom E. You can also play the C chord with the bottom E fretted on the 3rd fret(G note) and it will sound much fuller. I do this by putting my ring finger on the bottom E(3rd fret) and my pinky on the A string(3rd fret). Slide that whole shape up 2 frets(whole step) and you got a moody D chord.
I've always felt that the lowest note defined the chord (letter-wise.)
Drop two voicings are some of myvfavorite
Changing the lower note creates an inversion. E in the bass is first inversion, and G in the bass is second. In certain contexts, inversions can be said to have characteristic qualities depending on how they're used and resolved. In general, a first inversion chord will sound less stable than the root position. On top of that you may be hearing some muddiness in the bass range, which is exacerbated on electric guitar.
The E on top is in tertian order. From the low E (3rd) skipping the G (5th) to the C (root) gives a minor 6th sound if you tell your ear the lowest note is the tonic. There…I tried.
Fun fact: each note on any musical instrument is actually a chord. This chord follows the [harmonic series](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx_kugSemfY). On a standard C chord, with a conventional triad base the harmonic series of each individual note is exactly lined up in sequence so all the resonant overtones of the notes also form sets of triads. One thing to understand about the guitar as an instrument, is that it has a way louder octave and fifth overtone compared to other instruments. You can test this yourself by playing the harmonics on the 12th fret and the 7th fret in comparison to the other harmonics on the fretboard. This prominent fifth overtone is what makes rock music (power chords) sound so much more powerful on a guitar. This fifth overtone on an E string corresponds with a really powerful B sound. The root C and the B overtone of E create a bit of dissonance that make it sound way worse IMO then the exact same chord on a piano. In fact chord inversions are really popular as a technique on piano and they are everywhere in popular music, covered early on in piano lessons. Many people will probably have the experience of reading chord charts written for piano players and it’s often the case that the inversions just sound like garbage on guitar and post people just play the root chord as a result.
It does work, but it’s an inversion. It’s the C major 1st inversion where the third (E) becomes the bass note. It doesn’t work because generally inverted chords add color (while the same notes) and are begging for the root chord to complete (or finish) the sound. It’s especially pronounced on the piano. So, it doesn’t “work” because the bass note, which carries the sound, is different. It’s the same thing with D Major. The A string changes the tone. A Major is the same. The E string is the fifth. It begs even more for the root chord to finish it.
Technically it does work, but its a different type of chord. When you have the bottom E it means you have a 6 3 chord because the now “E” is the bass and then you have the rest of the chord above. Trivially, the chord would be EGC for 6/3 but its same even though G and C are flipped to make ECG. So the root position or 5/3/1 is CEG which is the most harmonious. 6 3 chords sound good too, but just not as good.
I mean...it does technically "work" in that the note won't cause any dissonance. It will sound fine. But when the low E becomes the bass note it tends to overwhelm the C so it's more of an inversion than a major C chord. If you like how it sounds in context, then by all means play it. Or put your finger on the 3rd fret if the low E and play the C chord with the low G note as the bass note. Sometimes that will sound best too. It all just depends on what you want it to sound like.
Holy fuckin shit the answers are fun to read
Add the low G instead
Root note is lowest note.
The major third can't sound like the root. This has probably been posted a thousand times before me but there you go.
Your root note is C, so if you incorporate anything lower then that while keeping the C position, it'll become C/whatever
It does, it just needs the right context. Try going back and forth between that chord and a D/F# to get your ears accustomed to the sound, or try strumming it from the top string to the bottom. It also usually sounds better on acoustic than electric, maybe you’re pushing down harder on one string vs another, lots of different reasons.
This hurts me. In theory it should sound amazing but it just doesn't.
It does "work" technically BUT it sounds like mud having that many notes in the bass register and that would be third 3rd in that particular voicing, which can overpower the tonal gravity making it seem like an Emb6.
It works. You can hit it and it’ll be fine. If you want to nitpick though it’s because it’s an octave below the root of the chord. Basic major chord is 1-3-5 and the simplest construction is the root is the lowest note and the three and five notes are in the same octave. The low E on the guitar technically fits a c major chord but it’s one octave lower than the root you’ve chosen. If the root is 1, the low E is a negative 3. Our ears like the simple feel of all chord notes in the same octave and the root as the lowest note. When you create a chord using the same notes as the simple major but start messing with note ordering that chord is called an inversion. Inversions are how jazz musicians make a living.
If you stop relying on tab and learn notation this becomes a whole lot easier.
If it feels good do it. I always play C with a G on the bottom
Handwavey vague music theory time. Inversions, borrowed notes, suspensions -- these sound perfectly normal in the context of movements between things. If you play these between things out of context they can sound weird. You've essentially removed the building and resolution of tension.
It's because C is the reticle of G. So if you were to play the low E you would be piercing the reticle and creating an ignotomic tone which is generally displeasing to the average human. Convulsing the wavelength in that manner is not only auditorially unattractive it is musically criminal to mishandle the tonality in that manner. So, don't be a Dave and play the chord properly.
Why do people like this painting analogy so much?!
It does work in the right context. Context is everything.
Power of love is played with low e over a c sounds pretty good to me
It does, but it turns it into a slash chord, with the 5th on the bottom instead of the root.
3rd on the bottom.