Name that chord

Yay!  Theory tests.

So if I'm reading this right....

-0-   <- E

-3-   <- D

-2-   <- A

-2-   <- E

-x-

-x-

You have three notes.  Your chord is based on one of them.

A major

A C# E

D major

D F# A

E major

E G# B

So I think we can exclude an E chord as it is lacking both the III and V of E.   So your chord rests on what we do with the III of A or D.

If we assume it's a D chord, the we have the III being removed and replaced by the II.  That makes a sustained 2 chord.

D major scale

I 2 3  4 5 6 7  I

D E F# G A B C# D

Your chord D E A.  Dsus2.

You could also voice the same chord by leaving the D string open.

But now lets look at A.

If we used A, we would be adding the IV in for the III, which is a sus4 chord.  You could strike the A string here, too, and you'll be OK.

A major scale.

I 2 3  4 5 6  7  I

A B C# D E F# G# A

Your chord A D E.  Asus4.

If the next chord you play is D, it's probably the sus4.  If it's an E, then it's probably the sus2.

I'm gonna guess it's the sus4, though.  But the real answer to your question is "What key are you in?"

Scales.  They're at the bottom of everything.  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">

<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>american chaos theory wrote on Fri, 20 April 2007 21&#58;22</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Close...it is actually

-0- <- E

-3- <- D

-2- <- A

-3- <- F

-x-

-x-

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OK. That changes things a bit, as you not longer have a triad, but some type of 7 chord, as you've got four notes in it.

Lets look at D again.

D major

I 2 3  4 5 6 7  I

D E F# G A B C# D

The flatted third makes it minor, so lets look at D minor.

D minor

I 2 3 4 5 6  7 I

D E F G A Bb C D

This could be it.  It shares all the notes with D minor, plus the high E.  So D minor add 9?   If you could work an E in there within the chord, it'd be D minor add 2.

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I'm sorry to be such a problem child. I remember when the hardest thing I had to figure out was whether or not it was ok to end on a sixth. (I did it anyway).
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If it sounds nice, it's right.   <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

I think that, if the finger position is as described, a chord used in a lot of songs is A Maj 7. You can use it as start chords in the song "something" by george harrisson.

Just to show an example, I try to write it down

It starts with a classic A chord (I used F for Finger)

E  A  D  G   B   E

___________________

x  x  x  x  x  x

x  x  F  F  F  x  = plain A chord Second fret

x  x  x  F  x  x

x  x  F  x  F  x  = this is I think the chord you wanted.

to continue the "something" chords, you go to A7

x  x  x  x  x  x

x  x  F  x  F  x = A7 chord.

Don't forget you can start using other chords or keys to play a song like SPOMETHING, but I am convinced that the chord you tried to find is A Maj 7

<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>gitaardocphil wrote on Sat, 21 April 2007 11&#58;46</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
I think that, if the finger position is as described, a chord used in a lot of songs is A Maj 7.
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The chord lacks any quality of VII of A, so it can't be an Amaj7.

This is what he described.

-0- <- E

-3- <- D

-2- <- A

-3- <- F

-x-

-x-

A major 7 would have G# in it.  A dom 7 would have G in it.  A minor A 7 would have a G and a C in it.  A half diminished minor 7 would have a C, D# and G in it.  A diminished 7 would have that, except the G would be F#.

The use of the D could make it an A sus 4, but the addtion of the F kind of muddies that.

It's a D minor add 9.  It could probably be built into some type of F chord as well, as D minor and F share the same key signature.

I 2 3  4 5 6  7  I

A B C# D E F# G# A

It's worth noting, since we're discussing theory, that there are only nine chord qualities in all of music.

There are four triad chord qualities.

Major, minor, diminshed, and augmented.

There are five 7 chord qualities.

major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, half diminished, diminished 7th.

Every chord you play is a derivitive of one of these.  sus and add chords are triads.   9, 11, and 13 chords are all 7 chords, and can be substituted in for them as you wish.

That little bit of info helps quite a bit if you're trying to figure out what a chord is.   It has to be one of those nine types.   So if you know what they are, and understand major scales, there isn't any chord you shouldn't be able to figure out.