• rcees
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-12-20
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Questions fm a beginner

What does the + mean when it's with a chord ie C+ or E+5?
What does "hammer down" mean?

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,862

Re: Questions fm a beginner

Hi rcees the + sign means add so a C+5 is a C chord with the 5th (G) added the term "hammer down" means to hold your finger on one note and play another note on the same string with another finger and only pick it once similar to hammer ons (Van Halen eruption solo) you can also hammer down open strings on any fret with out useing a pick hope this helps have a nice holiday season and welcome to Chordie smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

3 Reply by Guitarpix (edited by Guitarpix 2009-12-21 13:45:58)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Re: Questions fm a beginner

When tabbing a + is sometimes used in the place of a # for a sharp note. So C+ would be C#.  E5 (or any chord followed by 5) is often used as a symbol for a power chord shape... So E+5 would be an E# (F on 8th fret A string) power chord....  These are loose interpretations and you can/should play along with the song to fine tune it.... I'm working a tab at the moment that uses C+ as a C#m chord so it really all depends on the tabbers intent.

Russ is correct as well, it just depends on the type of score/tab your following.... Maybe a link to the music in question would help us narrow it down for you...

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Guitarpix's Website

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Questions fm a beginner

This is one of the reasons I hate tablature.  smile

Anyway, in formal chord notation, a + sign indicates an augmented chord.  That is a major chord with a raised 5th.  Informally, it could mean any one of a number of things.  Of the two suggested, I'm inclined to go with Guitarpix's over Russ's.   Major chords already have the V in them, so a specific notation to add it seems redundant.

Anyway, there are a whole lot of various ways to chart and notate music, but honestly, I think there are very few good ones.  Standard notation on a lead sheet is still my all time favorite.  It's formal enough to give you the detail you want, and informal enough to give you quick reference when you forget what you were doing halfway through a bar.  smile

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jerome.oneil's Website

  • From: Western Oregon,US
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 2,498

Re: Questions fm a beginner

I'm no expert, but I'm going with Jerome on this one...

+  = Augmented (or sharped)

-  = Diminished (or flatted)

Makes sense and is easy to remember,  but tabbers have conventions also, and not everyone adheres to the guidelines.

The C+ Pix is talking about would make more sense as a C# (assuming a C Augmented chord), as a C#m  would more likely (to my mind) be written as a C+-3 to reflect the flatted 3rd of the minor chord....  which would really be confusing to this old brain.

So now that we've confused everybody including me,  who wants to tackle the part about "hammer-ons"?  By the time I tried to put that into words, I'd be en-route to a rubber room somewhere....


Have a Happy New Year All!
Take Care;
Doug

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare