Light487, I looked at your original post and was curious about whether or not the A and high E strings were to be played open. Since you have Xs on the low E string (but not on the others), I assume they are meant to be played open.

Sarina did a fine job identifying the chord. I just want to add a couple of thoughts.

If you regard this chord as an F#min7b5/A that would mean in is first inversion:

F# - 1 (root)
A - min 3
C - flat 5
E - min 7

Typically, you would call it this in order to specify some kind of function. For example if the bass note is important enough in the series of chords you are playing to single it out as the bass voice.

Otherwise it might be conceptually more clear to simply name it by it's actual lowest note. In other words, since A in the lowest note in the chord, call it an Amin6.

A - 1 (root)
C - min 3
E - 5
F# - maj 6

However ... :)

Originally Posted by: light487I came across it accidentally when trying to find a chord to go between my Am7 and GMaj7..
[/quote]
Ah ha! Now we have a context in which to place the chord. We can discover it's function in a series of chords.

So the F# as root can make sense because it is a type of diminished chord that could function as a major key vii chord moving to a G maj as a tonic chord. Even though it is a half-diminished chord and that more often functions as a sub dominant instead of dominant.

Also, since you mention you regard this as "jazz", some jazz guys would say, you have a D9 without the root:

D - 1 (root) - NOT present
F# - maj 3
A - 5
C - min 7
E - 9

I would probably view it that way because it makes perfectly clear a functional harmony progression:

Amin7 (ii) - D9 (V) - Gmaj7 (I)

And ii-V-I is quintessential jazz.
[QUOTE=light487]Another chord I am interested to know is:


6 7 8
|-----|-----|-----|
|-----|-----|--4--|
|--1--|--3--|-----|
|-----|--2--|-----|
|-----|-----|-----|
X-----|-----|-----|


A - 1 (root)
C# - maj 3
D - 4
E - 5
G - min 7

This is an A7 chord. When you have the D held down it is an A7sus4, when you release the D it is an A7.