A/C#

[azul81677]

I just got this piece of sheet music and right now, I think I'm pretty advanced in my Piano 1 class but I came across something that I've never seen before. It says A/C#. I know it's read as "A over C sharp", but I don't know how to play it, can anyone help me?

[mad_max2024]

It's simply the A major chord with C# in the bass.

The lowest note you play is C# instead of the root A. The upper notes are the A major chord: A, C# and E in any combination.
If you have a melody line, place it on top.

That's what happens in most cases at least...

[keiichii_kun]

Also known as A in 1st inversion.

[mad_max2024]

All it takes for it to be in first inversion is for the C#to be the bass?
I always thought first inversion meant C#-E-A 

[Bob]

As long as the main notes for the chords are present, it's just whatever's the lowest note.  You can play any position of the chord and if the lowest note is the third, it's first inversion.  If the fifth, second inversion.

I remember that freaked out the pianist in theory class. 

It's kind of a hand position too, but don't tell that to the theory profs.

[Bob]

And in classical music, it would be written A6 <-- with the 6 raised up, superscript.

A6  first inv.
A64 second inv.

written
   6
A 4    superscript


The A/C# is more of a pop style of writing it, but the same idea.  Although... sometimes the pop/jazz chord notation is open for arranging things differently.