Chord & FretC/A — with the sixth in the bass
Notes in C/A: A – C – E – GFormula: 1 – 3 – 5 / 13In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.
Put an A underneath the C chord and you have exactly the notes of Am7Am7Am7Am7. What changes is which note the ear takes as home: written C/A, C is still in charge; written Am7, A takes over.
The same chord on all four instruments
Where to use it: The crossing between a major key and its relative minor, and descending bass lines generally.
The shapes of C/A don't end on this page — the whole neck holds dozens. In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and set a capo — the diagrams redraw above it. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.
See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →Part of the Inversions (slash) family.