Guitar lessons: In this tutorial we're looking at a type of chord that offers a fresh alternative to basic barre chords. The shapes below are known as ‘slash chords’ thanks to the ‘/’ in their names and it just means that each chord has a different root note.
So, for example, D/A is a D chord with an A as its lowest note; G/B is a G chord with B as its lowest note. You get the idea. You’ll hear these shapes used notably by Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Brian May, to name but a few.
Use slash chords in our rock riff track
The chords here are essentially just D, G and C, but breaking them up into partial chord shapes and playing only two or three strings at a time makes the riff more interesting.
Use your first finger to barre across the 7th fret. This leaves your other fingers free to fret the 8th, 9th and 10th frets.
