213. Slash Chords Explained - Bowie, Beatles & Beach Boys
18 May 2026
About This Episode
In this special episode of The Ireland Podcast, Fender Jackson explores the emotional power of slash chords - also known as split chords - and how artists such as David Bowie, The Beatles and The Beach Boys used them to create tension, atmosphere and emotional depth in their music.
Featuring live piano demonstrations and discussion of:
* God Only Knows
* The Long and Winding Road
* Life on Mars?
* Where Are We Now?
alongside:
* Brian Wilson and The Beatles
* four-track recording in the 1960s
* bass movement and harmonic tension
* major 7ths and suspended harmony
* teaching music in China
* and why certain chord movements feel deeply emotional.
Fender Jackson
Fender Jackson is a musician, producer and host of The Ireland Podcast. After spending years performing and teaching music in China, he returned to Ireland where he combines music, storytelling and cultural conversation through podcasting and performance.
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