Using Slash Chord in IIIm
Today I am looking at the Ab key and found out the possible chords will be
Ab, Bbm, Cm, Db, Eb, Fm and Gdim.
However I have tried AbMaj7, Bbm6/G, Bbm6/G then Cm but I feel dissonance with the Bbm6/G. After that I have switched it to Bb6/G and it feel much better.
I don't know if I am on the right track doing that as it seems it violates the major and minor sequences of a key. Can someone help me out to rationalise it?
3 Comments
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Violate that key all you like! The diatonic notes of any key are a framework, not a restriction.
Anyway, you're banging out that G root, then going to Cm. There's a dominant-tonic feel there, G to C. 'Allow' yourself the notes of C minor.
The difference between your two chords is a single half step: in your original chord you have D♭, but in your preferred chord you have D♮.
Since you're moving to C minor, it's possible that you're viewing that C as a temporary tonic. As such, you prefer the chord with D♮ since that helps makes C-as-tonic a bit more clear. This is because D is in the C scale, but D♭ is not.
Try playing a G7 chord in place of the B♭6/G; how do you like that sound? If that's more what you're looking for, then you're aiming for what we call an applied chord (or "secondary dominant") of C.
I don't mean to offend, but I think you need much more practice, using the chords to accompany melodies, for the theory to make sense. Do you know what it means that a song is "in a key"? How many songs have you played, with melody and chords, in Ab major? How many in F minor? Have you used the chords you listed in the songs? Have you tried substituting the chords with different chords? Have you ever played a song where the melody has the note Db, and for it the suggested accompaniment chord is Bbm6/G? Have you tried playing a Bb/G or Gm7 as accompaniment for that Db note? How did it work - did it feel better or worse in that context?
If you have never played a song where a Bbm6/G chord is used to accompany a Db note, then where have you seen it used? What melody notes were there? For songs that are in the key of A minor, you're looking for a melody note F and accompaniment chord Dm6/B. If you've never encountered such a song, then you need much, much more actual practice, less theory. :)
Good luck!
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