Originally Posted by: ddiddler

there is now.

F# sus 4 add6 implied[/quote][p]Close! If you are going to call the F# the root, then it's F# sus4 add6 (no5th). Because the 3rd & 5th is always implied you always need to be clear if they've been replaced (sus4 for the 3rd), or omitted (5th).

So, while pretty uncommon, that is indeed one possible chord name for that group of notes. It's also a B in first inversion. Also called a B/F#.

For that matter you could call it a D# minor flat6th (no 5th).

To add even more confusion, you could also call it a G# minor 7th (no root)!

So how do you decide which one? :)

Any group of notes can be called a variety of chord names by reference to any other musical alphabet letter.

1. Pick a root note. No, it doesn't even have to be one of the notes in the chord!

2. Identify the interval distance from the root note to each note in the chord.

3. Label each interval distance.

4. Build the chord name.

In this thread we've seen how these notes: B, D#, F#. Can result in a variety of chord names. So, which one is best?!

The best name for any chord is the most appropriate for the musical context. We use the name that helps us relate that chord to how it's being used.

So, for most purposes that's going to be a B major chord, specifically in 2nd inversion. After all, it's the most efficient & conceptually clear way to label it.

The only reason to call it an F# is if the music is consistently in F# and that chord is maybe a quick passing chord in the middle of a bunch of F# notes & chords. For example:

|-----------------------------------|

|--2---2---4---2---2-------------|

|--2---4---4---4---2-------------|

|--4---4---4---4---4-------------|

|-----------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------|

Here we have a lot of motion around an F# minor chord. So, it might make sense to call it an F# minor, the F# sus4, F# sus4 add6 (no5th).

That 3rd chord is still a B major, but since everything else is all about F#, it's okay to use that more complex name in this musical context.

It could also be a D# minor flat6 (no 5th) if found in this musical context.

|-----------------------------------|

|-----------------------------------|

|--3---4---3---4---3-------------|

|--4---4---4---4---4-------------|

|--6---6---6---6---6-------------|

|-----------------------------------|

Here we clearly have just a D# minor chord with a little ornamental motion with the 5th moving to minor 6th & back. Again, that 2nd chord is a B major, but it's okay to use the more complex name because it really does point to what is happening in the music.

And in this example:

|-----------------------------------|

|-------4-------4------------------|

|--4---4---4---4---4-------------|

|--4---4---4---4---4-------------|

|--6--------6-------6-------------|

|-----------------------------------|

Imagine we have a bass guitar playing a G# all the time along with that! Clearly we are just playing the upper part of a G# minor 7 chord along with the bass holding down the root. This sort of thing happens quite a bit in jazz & R&B.

So, we can name chords in a variety of ways! But it's always best to use the clearest, most efficient, unless there is a musica reason to use some more complex name.

[quote=ddiddler]So when it's described as B/F# does that mean it is the B maj using the F# inversion ?

Yes, the slash indicates that the 1st letter is the chord name & the letter after the slash is the lowest note in the voicing, the bass note.

So, B/F# is synonymous with B major in 2nd inversion. 2 names for the same chord.