How to play G/F# Chord?

yrorrory

Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
How do you play a G/F# chord on a GCEA tuned uke?

How, for that matter, do you interpret chords formed from 2 notes like that?

Thanks for your help :)
 
The first note is the base chord. The second note tells you to alter the bass note in the chord.
It's short for "Play a G chord with the bass note lowered to F#"

With a reentrant 4 stringer, you usually just ignore it as you don't have that note readily available to you.

Since you have two G's in your chord, in your case you can try lowering the fingered G by one fret and see how it sounds. Instead of 0232, try 0222
 
How do you play a G/F# chord on a GCEA tuned uke?

How, for that matter, do you interpret chords formed from 2 notes like that?

Thanks for your help :)

You can't play it on a uke in C tuning (either with high or low G).

It is a chord of G with an F# in the bass. It does not sound the same as a Gmaj7 chord, though the notes are the same. It is usually used when there is a bass run in a guitar or piano part such as at the start of "My Baby Just Cares For Me" or "Mr Bojangles".

The only way it could be played on a uke is to play a chord near the 12th fret, but it would sound terrible as it is meant to be a bass note.

Hope this helps.
 
I would just play a Gmaj7: 0222

That would contain all the notes of a G/F# chord; it just wouldn't have the F# as the lowest note.
 
Since you have two G's in your chord, in your case you can try lowering the fingered G by one fret and see how it sounds. Instead of 0232, try 0222
The only problem with that is it doesn't accomplish what the original slash chord intended since it's not affecting the bass. A slash chord is generally specified because something's going on with the bassline, as Ken mentions. Just ignore the slash and the note after it and play it as a G.
 
The only problem with that is it doesn't accomplish what the original slash chord intended since it's not affecting the bass. A slash chord is generally specified because something's going on with the bassline, as Ken mentions. Just ignore the slash and the note after it and play it as a G.

I disagree. I would first try to come up with a voicing that included the second note. Then try it without, and choose the one that sounds best to you.

If the second note is normally a part of the regular chord, such as G/B, it's a non-issue. But for a chord as distinctive as G/F# (the major seventh is a pretty unusual bass note for a chord), I would at least try the Gmaj7 and see how it sounds.
 
I disagree. I would first try to come up with a voicing that included the second note. Then try it without, and choose the one that sounds best to you.

If the second note is normally a part of the regular chord, such as G/B, it's a non-issue. But for a chord as distinctive as G/F# (the major seventh is a pretty unusual bass note for a chord), I would at least try the Gmaj7 and see how it sounds.
It's always good to experiment, but I still beg to differ. The F# in a G/F# on guitar is 2 octaves lower then the F# in a Gmaj7 on the ukulele. On the uke the F# is going to affect the color of the chord, which is not what the slash chord is calling for. On the guitar it's going to stand out as part of the bassline, which is most likely going to be walking up or walking down and therefore needs the slash chord.
 
Ooh! Chord fight! Chord fight!
 
Ooh! Chord fight! Chord fight!

Yeah, it could get ugly. Cpatch looks like he has the quickness, but I've got a significant weight advantage. ;)

<begin generic roid-rage gravel-voiced pro wrestler shout>

He's going DOOOOOOOWWWWN!!!!!

</end shout>
 
Maybe this guy's good in a chord fight:

CFu4j.jpg
 
Ooh! Chord fight! Chord fight!

Selling tickets??? ;) If no tickets available then will there
be a video for sale of the Chord Fight????
 
Last edited:
I'm curious as to what the song is, where this G/F# appears in it, and whether or not it's actually the correct chord to play there in the first place.

This whole discussion could be moot. Or, at the very least, having some context will help inform the best way to play the chord.

JJ
 
I'm curious as to what the song is, where this G/F# appears in it, and whether or not it's actually the correct chord to play there in the first place.

This whole discussion could be moot. Or, at the very least, having some context will help inform the best way to play the chord.

JJ

I came across the chord whilst I was trying to learn some beloved Flight of the Conchord songs. In Sellotape, the progression I was using goes: G, G/F#, Em, Am, Am7, D. This is where I got curious. The 2220 fingering sounds good (as suggested by one of the contenders for victory in this "chord fight".
 
I came across the chord whilst I was trying to learn some beloved Flight of the Conchord songs. In Sellotape, the progression I was using goes: G, G/F#, Em, Am, Am7, D. This is where I got curious. The 2220 fingering sounds good (as suggested by one of the contenders for victory in this "chord fight".

Ah, well... in that song, the chord is really more of a Bm/F#. I don't think there's a G note in it. I'd play it as x222 or 4222.

In fact, I'd fingerpick it. Like so:

Code:
A -2---2---|-2---2---|-2---2---|-2---2---|
E -3---3---|-2---2---|-0---0---|-0---0---|
C ---2---2-|---2---2-|-2---2---|-2---2---|  etc...
G ---------|---------|---------|---------|

(Note that I'm also playing the third chord as an Em7. Note sure if it's that way in the song. I just like how it sounds. :D)

JJ
 
JJ seems to have rendered the chord fight moot. And I just sat down with my popcorn! Dang. :D
 
old thread necromancer!!

I was looking for how to play a G/F# for "Tear Down the House" by the Avett Brothers. http://squarezero.org/music/Tear_Down_the_House_AVETT.pdf

And came across this thread. I think that it basically just matters how it sounds to you as far as what you can or should play. For the song I'm trying to play, I just need a slight variation in the G chord so playing 0222 works fine for my case.

Anyway, I love that almost any time I google "How do I play a <insert obscure chord here> on a uke?" I inevitably wind up in a very thorough UU Forums thread. :) :)
 
Top Bottom