Topic: What is a C* chord that is sometimes displayed on the main page?

[jcgam]

This is a difficult term to google search.  Sometimes when I'm playing with AI fingering I see this chord displayed, and I don't know what it is.

[rphillipchuk]

This may help

https://app.box.com/s/w25dvnnu9ezf6x0bltyc96ukbiqbz9ja

[mikf]

It’s not an official chord symbol so it will not appear on lists. I think it’s just something Yamaha does in AI. Must admit I have occasionally noticed it but never thought about it. I think it may be a way in the AI mode to signify it has interpreted the notes you play (or maybe don’t play?) as a C chord.
Mike

[andyg]

Just tried this. I've not been able to get a C*. The * symbol can crop up in AI Fingered Mode when the notes played 'confuse' the system slightly. As I tell my students "It's Confused.chord!" (That pun may not work outside the UK!) The keyboard knows it's some form of chord based on C or a C bass note but it's not one that it fully recognises. The chord's root note displayed will vary depending on the chord that's played, it won't always be C*. For example, the 'quick' way to get Bb chord over a C bass would be C D Bb, with the display showing Bb*/C.

Two probable reasons: 1) You're playing a chord type that it doesn't know (I have a list of a few more somewhere upstairs!), or 2) You've accidentally clipped a key as you've played a more usual type of chord. Most likely to be the latter, so just release the notes quickly and replay the chord.

[Stijn]

On my sheet music of the song "Music, by John Miles" there is the chord A*
It is played A-B-Cis, and the Genos shows A* on the display.

Stijn

[FrankJaco]

I don't know if it is relevant to what Yamaha means when it displays and asterisk (*) next to a chord. And I am only a novice player.   So I asked the AI ChatGPT4 this question....  It's answer will follow....

I play musical keyboards like organs and pianos.   Sometimes in sheet music I see a chord that has a note followed by an asterick for example:  C*   what does this mean?  what chord is this and what are its notes?


In sheet music, when you see a chord denoted with an asterisk, such as “C*”, it typically indicates that there is a special instruction or variation for that chord. The asterisk may refer you to a specific chord grid or diagram elsewhere on the sheet or in a separate chord chart, showing the required fingering or voicing for that chord1. It’s a way to highlight that the chord should be played differently from its standard form.

For instance, “C*” could mean that you should play a standard C major chord but with an altered fingering, an added note, or perhaps an omitted note. The exact interpretation would depend on the specific instructions provided in the sheet music you’re reading. Always look for additional information provided near the chord symbol or at the beginning or end of the sheet music for clarification. If there’s a section with chord diagrams, the asterisk might direct you there to find out how to play the “C*” chord as intended by the arranger or composer.

Remember, the asterisk is not part of the standard chord notation; it’s a pointer to additional details about how to play the chord. So, the notes of the “C*” chord would be the same as a standard C major chord (C, E, G) unless the additional instructions specify otherwise.

Edit: Changed bold & italic text to quote for better readability by overover

[KurtAgain]

C-D-E gives C*. I would have thought C-D-E would make Cadd9, but for that you have to play C-D-E-G. The same applies to A-B-C#.

I suspect C* means C-Something or C-I_Don't_Know on Yamaha.

[mikf]

Andyg’s response rings true. Andy has a lot of insight and it makes sense. I also tried to create it on the keyboard and it happened by accident a couple of times.
So I think we can agree the asterisk means what the heck are you trying to play
Mike

[pjd]

Just horsing around, I played the suggested notes in the chord chart for Cm7(9), then C-D-Eb and Genos displayed "D*/C".

I'm going with Andy on this one... 

-- pj

[lucassus]

I’m not an expert and may be wrong, but this is notation for “not fully played” chord. It is something similar like “alt” (“alternate”) version of chord in jazz notation in example F#m7alt. That’s why it is more common see in AI Fingering, when AI must search alternate version of chord often played between another chord and beeing not a “proper” one. It still sounds, while it has base/root, but as a name in music theory it can’t be named exactly, while there is missing notes to do it.
In example with C* it can be C9 or C69 or C79 or CM79 and so on.Instrument recognizes the root, most of notes of chord, but while there is missing one note, it plays three notes C-D-E and showes it as C*.

[andyg]

AI Fingered is cleverer than Yamaha first thought. I'm still probing the possibilities! It does allow you to miss certain notes from a chord, usually the 5th, but as we've seen from the examples above, that's not always the case!

I usually start by writing down the notes that make up a given 'exotic' chord, and its bass note, if different, and playing them with two hands. I then remove the 5th to see what happens, then a different note and so on. Once I've got down to preferably just four notes I start playing with the inversions. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't, as the notes may be common to two chords.

You'll often have to play in root position, which makes for a bit of jumping around but if you're playing music of a standard that needs these chords, that should be no problem!

And yes, occasionally that * will crop up. It's usually not a problem, as what the keyboard delivers is certainly close enough to suffice, even if it's not 100% musically correct.