How to Play A/C# on the Guitar

A/C#: How to Play A/C# on the Guitar - part 1

Today we will learn how to play a slash chord on the guitar, which is A/C#.  This is called a “slash chord” because it appears on most lead sheets with the slash symbol in the middle of the chord designation.  The way you say this chord when you speak is “A over C sharp.” (Don’t say “A slash C sharp” because it will make you sound like you don’t know what you are talking about and any help we can get in sounding professional we’ll take, right?) Slash chord designations exist in an effort to notate moving bass lines in chord progressions.  For this chord you will play a regular A chord, but replace the root, or bass note, or “bottom” note with a C# instead of the typical A. 

A/C#: How to Play A/C# on t

he Guitar - part 2

A/C# is not exactly the easiest chord to play if you are a beginner and so the first thing you need to learn is how to play a first position (or “open” position) A chord by barring it with your first finger.  It is done by using your first finger to play all three notes in the main chord instead of playing an A like you see in the books with three fingers, which I haven't done for years, except in certain circumstances where that position is required so accomplish chord changes (such as A - Asus4 - A2 - A).  The 3-finger A-chord is difficult to move

to for most and it’s chords like this that sometimes create huge frustration with beginners in playing the guitar.  Instead what you do is barre it with your first finger but make sure to leave the high E string open so it rings out.  It may be a little hard at first, but it will become easier as you practice it.  So if you learn how to play an A by barring it with one finger, you are golden to play the A/C#.

A/C#: How to Play A/C# on the Guitar - part 3

Next, all you have to do is take your pinky and place it on the C# which is located on the 5th string, 4th fret.  Another

option is to play the C# with your ring finger, except I find that when I do that I have a tendency to mute the high E string just because of the position of my hand.  I could twist my hand and make it work, but typically it’s a passing chord where leaving the high E out doesn’t negatively impact a chord progression.  So if I do play the A/C# by using my ring finger I am usually not going to try and leave the top string open. Now you’ve learned the slash chord A/C#!

A/C#: Practice How to Play A/C# on the Guitar

Practice this chord by playing the chord progression as shown in the video: E – Bsus4 – A/C# - D

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