I am stumped????

[wvgman]

Playing around with some alternate chords for a song I like, I came upon these two open string type chords that I use a good bit and really like. My problem is that I can not for the life of me figure out the names of these babies. I think I have the B sus4, but the F#m chord is making my head spin like a merry-go-round with a jet engine.
Please take a look and give me your thoughts.

[larro]

Hello !

I think we could call the first chord F#m7 (11).
The second chordname looks right.

Just my 2 cents.......

[wvgman]

Anyone else have a thought or would like to venture a guess?

[Jestme]

Ron

Your chord names seem valid to me. In addition, IMHO

the F#11 [b7] might also be called an A6 add 9 [A6/9]

the B sus4 might also be called an E sus 2

Maybe you should get the ol' chord game going and see what else might come up...

[Rgalvez]

Maybe you should get the ol' chord game going and see what else might come up...

and maybe you could win another guitar

[wvgman]

I won the guitar in the Test Your Blues IQ contest, but I think I did squeak out a free course in one of the Ear Exam contests. I should have kept my answers. LOL

[wvgman]

An extremely credible source tells me the first chord is an F#m11 and says the flatted 7 is an implied "given" in the minor 11 chord.
I think we have all settled on the second chord being called a B sus 4.

[DjangoTango]

The first one is technically F#m7add11/C# (it really isn't F#m11 if there is no G# -- the 9th).

I use this chord a LOT, but I use my thumb to play the F# on the 6th string. Moving up and down the neck with a similar hand position, starting with a an E at the nut, you move up to an F#m7add11, G#m6, (lift index finger and use your middle finger on 4th string) Aadd9, Badd11, (back to your index finger) C#m7. This fingering can really liven up a pop song in E.

The other chord you give is simply a Bsus (similar to a Badd11 except without the 3rd -- D#).

[DjangoTango]

Oh, and there really isn't any such thing as a b7, at least not in any standard notation I've come across. There's a dominant 7 (what you get if you add a 7 to a 5th chord) and a major 7 (adding a 7 to a tonic or 4th chord). Dominant 7 is simply notated by adding a 7 to the chord name: C7, Am7. Major 7 is notated like this: Cmaj7, AmMaj7.

[wvgman]

When you say,

Oh, and there really isn't any such thing as a b7,

are you saying that the correct name for a b7 is dominant 7?
The note added to a major chord to get a dominant 7th chord is the flatted 7th of that chord's major scale, so are you saying that it is more correct to call it the dominant 7th note?
(I understand that the 7th note interval, like all others in the major scale beside the 4th and 5th, is called a major 7th interval and I understand the 1-3-5-7 equals a major 7 chord.)

[DjangoTango]

The 5th scale tone is called the dominant, and the chord built from that scale tone is called the dominant chord. So in the key of C, for example, a G chord would be the dominant chord. (It's called dominant because it has a dominant presence, with considerable tension wanting to resolve to the tonic chord -- or at least a chord that has the tonic note in it.)

Now, if we're in the key of C and we are playing a G chord and we add the 7th note, it will not be an F#, as it would if we were in the key of G or even in the key of D, where G would be the subdominant (4th chord). Both of those would use F# to create a Gmaj7 chord. But F# is not in the key of C. Instead, F is, so F is what we add. And since F would only be added as the 7th of a G chord when G is the dominant, it is therefore referred to as a dominant 7th chord.

A quick side note, if you ever need a sure way to change keys quickly, just play the dominant 7th chord of the new key, followed by the tonic chord of the new key.

Be aware that this only applies to major and minor scales. Things get kinda wacky when you get into modes and other exotic scales.

[wvgman]

We are on two different frequencies here, but I do appreciate your input. Thanks.

[DjangoTango]

Sorry!

It really does get technical to explain why some notes are "flatted" and others are "minor" or whatever.

Let's just go with this: What you call a flat-7 is universally regarded as simply a 7. That's what you will see it called in every chord chart or music book you come across, and that's what other musicians will expect you to call it.

[garylee]

Hey WVman, here is a couple websites you can use for chord names. www.chordbook.com it's showing A 6 add9* or *A 6/9*or F# m11** OR Gb m11**
for your first chord. The second chord shows: E sus2**or B sus4 / E
**
Another neat website: www.all-guitar-chords.com shows the first chord you listed as: B 11(no 3rd) Dominant 11th chord (no 3rd)
Steps: 1-3-5-b7-9-11

both these sites were posted first by other forum members, I had saved them to favorites in case something came up.

Gary

[DjangoTango]

Steps: 1-3-5-b7-9-11

I should point out: When I said there's no b7 I meant strictly in relation to chord names.

[Bluefugue]

Can the first chord just be looked at as a second inversion F#minor?

[DjangoTango]

It would be, but note the open 1st and 2nd strings.

[Bluefugue]

D'Oh, for crying out loud!!

[Ravi (Guitar Sherpa)]

I'm going along with Django on the F#m7add11, and if not playing the F# with your thumb in the bass (as I usually do in this context), it would be in second inversion, or "/C#." However, it would also be correct to play an F#m11 with this voicing, as it is commonly accepted to leave out the 9th, and even the 5th (except for the fact that here it is serving as your bass note) in extended chords like this.

Best, Ravi

[jimiclaptoncarl]

So it has 2 possible names:

F#m7(add11) / C#

A6(add9)/C#

(EDIT):

Didn't see Ravi's post.. xD

Thanks for posting Ravi!