Chord Name

I was looking at the music for the song "No Excuses" by Alice in Chains and I noticed that chord structure was similar to an A# barre chord, but different in that it had the Bb and eb strings (drop tuning) open instead of on the 6th fret. Why is this? Is this a different type of chord? It didn't show up on the chord name portion of the website. Thanks!

If you're playing this (notice the tuning!):

eb| 1
Bb| 1
Gb| 7
Db| 8
Ab| 8
Eb| 6

it's the same as if you were playing this (tuning again):

e| 0
B| 0
G| 6
D| 7
A| 7
E| 5


Apparently this chord is called A add9 from the tool on this website).

I could have gotten the whole question wrong, though. I took a look at the tabs for this song and I only saw it the way I tabbed it for you the second time.
I hope this was what you were looking for. If not, please tell me but also post a link of the page that you read the tabs on.

I forgot about the dropped tuning when inputing the open strings into the chord name tool, thanks!

But I am still a little confused. Why would it be:

eb: 1

Bb: 1

Gb: 7

Db: 8

Ab: 8

Eb: 6

Shouldn't it be:

eb: -1

Bb: -1

Gb: 7

Db: 8

Ab: 8

Eb: 6

leading to:

e: 0

B: 0

G: 8

D: 9

A: 9

E: 7

and then be an E maj9 chord?

There are no rules my young padowan. Yea, I made a star wars reference. I'm just in that kind of mood at 1930 getting ready for a fun night of...fun stuff. Seriously though, take the words "should" and "shouldn't" out of your vocab. All this theory stuff is nice, but its just there to guide you. Oh - there goes my alarm, hmmm, silly me waking up hours before that thing goes off... Again.

Are you sure you meant to write that GuitarSlinger? LOL!

I'm sorry Brian, now I just don't understand what you mean with that? :S
Try asking the question in a different way.

I am just not understanding why it would be 117886. Why are they 1s if it was "dropped" a half step? Would they not actually be a half step lower in pitch than a standard open string?

Yeh, its and A add9. I also only saw the standard tuning version. Playing the chord you named btimm, there surely must be a capo involved? If that is your question? (sometimes the simplest answer is the right one? ^^) but with a capo the lowered tuning wouldn't make any sense, except its a live version and the guitarist need the tuning for another song. Was that the question?

No, I just don't understand how the open string in a tuning dropped 1/2 step gets a 1. There is definitely not a capo involved. This is the chord played:

eb: 0

Bb: 0

Gb: 7

Db: 8

Ab: 8

Eb: 6

So since it is an open string that is dropped, is it true that I cannot actually compare it to anything on the chord name tool on the site?

I guess I can try to just use the actual notes being played, which would be:

eb: 0    Eb

Bb: 0    Bb

Gb: 7    Db

Db: 8    A

Ab: 8    E

Eb: 6    A

Then I get confused. What on earth type of chord has both an E and an Eb?!?!

Forgive me for being slow, I am really trying to understand this. An add9 chord consists of a 1, 3, 5, and 9 structure. So for A, that would be A, C#, E, and B. In the above chord played in the song, it has the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes as the strings that have finger placements, but no 9th. But then the open strings screw it up by adding a flatted 9th (I am assuming 9 and no 2?), and a flatted 5th. So I am not quite understanding how it is an add9 chord. :o(

First:
Btimm, you are absolutely right. An open Eb-string would be a "-1" on an E-string (which can't be played without a whammy bar).

Second:

Exactly. That's no chord that is found in a song by Alice In Chains...
They aren't playing that chord.

But maybe you could call your chord an A/b9/#11

At least I don't think they're playing it o.o

Clearing some things about this chord:

You're playing:

Eb| 0

Bb| 0

Gb| 7

Db| 8

Ab| 8

Eb| 6

Looked at in standard tuning it would be:

E| -1

B| -1

G| 6

D| 7

A| 7

E| 5

The notes are (low to high): A, E, A, C#, A#, D#
Which is an A chord with a flatted 2nd/9th and a sharpened 4th/11th.




WATCH THIS POINT:

Alice In Chains are (I think) playing the following chords in No Excuses:

Ab add9

Eb| 0

Bb| 0

Gb| 6

Db| 7

Ab| 7

Eb| 5

Bb add11

Eb| 0

Bb| 0

Gb| 8

Db| 9

Ab| 9

Eb| 7

Gb 6

Eb| 0

Bb| 0

Gb| 4

Db| 5

Ab| 5

Eb| 3

Eb

Eb| 0

Bb| 0

Gb| 1

Db| 2

Ab| 2

Eb| 0

Hope this helped.
Correct me if they're actually playing A/b9/#11

Nope, you are right. Thanks!

Crap, now I'm just too damn confused about this.
I can't help you now, man. Trust me, I'd just make it worse.