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Topic: Suspended chords? |
james sluder
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2012 11:53 pm |
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Im sure someone can tell me how to make a suspended chord ! I hear them in a lot of song's & there really pretty ,,but im having trouble finding how to make them . I would be greatfull for any help here !
Thanks !
Jim !! |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 12:06 am
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Easy Sus4. Open fret no pedals, say G at the 3rd. fret. Pedal in just the 6th string. That's raising the 3rd tone of the triad, B to a C which is the 4th tone. It's suspended 'til you let off the pedal. IOW, it's a temporary voicing of the 4th scale tone.
At the E fret open no bar no pedals, 6th string G# to A same thing, same pedal if that's easier to see.
There are others like a sus 2 etc., that I'm sure others will explain, but one at a time is easier to assimilate.
As an example, if you're familiar with Eagle's tune, New Kid in Town, Key of E, play the G#Sus4 at the 4th fret on the way to the C#minor chorus. |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 5:14 am
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An easy way to think of suspended chords is the altering of the third in a 1,3,5 chord. If you raise the third to a fourth, its a sus4. If you lower it to a second, its a sus2. Some are already in the open tuning. Playing strings 8,6,5 is an E. Strings 8,7,5 in open tuning create an E sus2 chord. Strings 5,4,1 in open tuning create a B sus4. Stacked fourths create a sus4 too, so strings 7,5,4 in open tuning create a B sus4.
As mentioned, the B pedal by itself is also an easy way to get a sus4 chord. It raises the third of the common E major chord grips on strings 3 and 6 to a fourth creating a sus4 chord.
Clete |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 7:36 am
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The "B" pedal also gives the sus2 chord. Open on strings 3,4,5,6,8,10 you get an Asus2 with just the B pedal, or letting off the A pedal in the pedals down position.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 8:32 am
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| Jerry Overstreet wrote: |
| Easy Sus4. Open fret no pedals, say G at the 3rd. fret. Pedal in just the 6th string. |
Like you say Jerry, it's easy to remember the way you explained. At the same time it is a very beautiful chord. It leaves you hanging more so than for example a 7th chord - and it screams to be resolved. I played this chord earlier without realizing the name of it. All I knew was that it's a pretty chord. It is so well suited to bring you back to the 1 chord. Or the other way around - bring you to a 4 chord from the 1 chord.
Have I got this right?
This is one of those "do something" chords that Jeff Newman used to pound into our brains.
_________________
BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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Mark van Allen
From:
Watkinsville, Ga. USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 11:18 am
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| James, you'll get a lot more mileage if you learn/think of it in scalar/chord tones as in Clete's post, rather than as a specific pedal position. In other words, wherever you have a third of the major scale, a half step above that is the forth note (with pedal or bar movement). So anywhere you know a scale you can find how to move a third to a fourth. And so on with every other chord type. |
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Dick Sexton
From:
Greenville, Ohio
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 12:13 pm Just trying to get my head around it...
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Pedal up position, add the B pedal for a Sus4th
Pedal down position, raise the A pedal leaving the B pedal for a Sus2nd
So the B pedal is the key, pedal up or pedal down?
Looking at it in the most simple way... |
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Don Brown, Sr.
From:
New Jersey
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 12:41 pm
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Richard, unless I'm wrong, I think you might want to think about that for a moment or two.
I think that's a good way to really confuse folks, but I could be wrong in my theory.
How about it being a Sus4.
Dick, I see why you're confused. If you have your A pedal down and you let it up, but keep the B pedal down, it's still a Sus4.
Letting off the A pedal, keeping the B down, is the same as just using the B pedal.
I know you know this, but I don't think Richard has it right. The A pedal 1/2 down, gives an Aug, and all the way down, gives you a Minor.
B Pedal down, is raising the 3rd 1/2 a tone up to a 4 for the Sus4.
Darn, now I've went and confused myself.  |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 1:21 pm
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| Don Brown, Sr. wrote: |
| If you have your A pedal down and you let it up, but keep the B pedal down, it's still a Sus4. |
Maybe, maybe not. The same fret-and-pedal position can sometimes be named different chords, depending on which string is considered to be the root note. It comes down to how the chord is being used in the song; that will determine the root.
Here are two examples. Both use open position with B-pedal down, but one is a Sus4, the other a Sus2. And they have different root names (Esus4 versus Asus2)
1) Play an E chord in the open position. The root note "E" is on strings 8 and 4. Stepping on the B-pedal creates a Sus4. Specifically, an Esus4.
2) Play an A chord at the nut, pedals-down. The root note "A" is now on strings 3 and 6 (B-pedal down). If you release the A-pedal but remain on B, this is a Sus2 chord... an Asus2.
Einstein was right -- it's all relative. The 'suspended' note's interval from the root - a 2nd or a 4th? -- depends on, well, which string you're calling the root.
Last edited by Tucker Jackson on 24 Jan 2012 1:45 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Dick Sexton
From:
Greenville, Ohio
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 1:39 pm Uhhhhh!
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Then I had it correct. Correct? Or wrong, if playing it out of context. Correct?
B pedal down would be a:
..Sus4 if played at the 8th fret in the key of "C"
..Sus2 if played at the 5th fret in the key of "D"
Assuming the obvious, Standard Emmons E9th..
Bazinga!  |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 1:46 pm
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Yeah, Dick you had it right.  |
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Joe Savage
From:
St. Paul, MN
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 1:53 pm
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Referring to Tucker's previous post. That's also a B7sus4. The A note being the 7, the B the root and the E being the raised 3rd.
Try these as well; For instance, play wide grip 4-6-10 with AB down. Now play 4-6-9 AB. Voila. Suspended 4. Now, any position 5-6-8 AF combo. Then 5-6-7. Suspended 4 again. Of course you can find thes same notes with the higher voiced string sets, but the notes don't stack as well and aren't as pleasing, at least to my ear. For instance, 6-5-4 AB and 6-4-2D down 1/2, or 5-4-3 AF to 5-3-1 AF. I use the lower voiced grips often.
_________________
Joe Savage
www.savagejoe.com |
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Clete Ritta
From:
San Antonio, Texas
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 2:48 pm
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| Don Brown, Sr. wrote: |
| Richard, unless I'm wrong, I think you might want to think about that for a moment or two.... |
Richard is correct. For instance, open strings 456 with the B pedal do indeed yield an A sus2 chord. Its all relative to what the root is and there are many ways of looking at naming a chord. E sus4 and A sus2 have the same notes. Ah, the beauty of the 4th interval!
Clete |
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Don Brown, Sr.
From:
New Jersey
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 3:24 pm
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Well it looks as if we'll have to disect this one. Since Richard said:
| Quote: |
The "B" pedal also gives the sus2 chord. Open on strings 3,4,5,6,8,10 you get an Asus2 with just the B pedal, or letting off the A pedal in the pedals down position.
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G# E B G# E B So B pedal down at 0pen position, Notes: A B E is: A Sus2 Notes E A B is: E Sus4
Ok I submit, it was simply the way he worded it that led us, (at least me) in thinking he was wrong.
However, now Richard gets my full Apology. He is correct, the wording messed up my ancient brain. So I have two choices. I could delete my entire post, but I think I'll leave it up.
Richard, my Full Apology. It was the wording that had me confused.
Maybe better said, the B pedal down, will provide either, a Sus2 or Sus4, depending on the relationship to which it's applied.
Quite interesting though..  ....... |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 3:53 pm
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| Got my first decent guitar, a Shobud Pro, in ''72. Two knees. Added two more a month later. Read that Buddy lowered the 6th string to F#. That's the chord I was looking for! That change has been on every guitar since then. Sus 2. Some guys call it a 9th, but it doesn't sound like that to me. |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 5:35 pm
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| Quote: |
Richard, my Full Apology. It was the wording that had me confused.
Maybe better said, the B pedal down, will provide either, a Sus2 or Sus4, depending on the relationship to which it's applied. |
Not a problem Don. I sometimes assume people know what I am trying to explain. I should have mentioned what chords they are played against.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting. |
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Bent Romnes
From:
London,Ontario, Canada
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Posted 24 Jan 2012 6:15 pm
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| John Billings wrote: |
| 6th string to F#. Sus 2. Some guys call it a 9th, but it doesn't sound like that to me. |
So that's what it's called huh? I had no idea, all I know is it sounds good. I also have the same lower on the 3rd string but for some reason it doesn't get used near as much
_________________
BenRom Pedal Steel Guitars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/212050572323614/ |
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Roger Francis
From:
kokomo,Indiana, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2012 7:34 am
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Here is a prime example of what Tucker is saying, it is the very last chord of the song that the steel is hitting. dont worry about the hissing at the front of this video it goes away after about 5 sec
http://youtu.be/vjIc7fpmP4s |
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james sluder
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2012 9:41 pm suspended chords
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Thank's a bunch to every one of you for your help,,i really got a lot from each post!
Fret 3 pedals up [ G } > B pedal presed gives me a sus 4
fret 5 pedals down [ D [ relese A pedal hold B down is a sus 2 >>when i pick string 6 at either position ! |
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Steve Cagle
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 14 May 2024 12:46 pm Re: Uhhhhh!
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[quote="Dick Sexton"]Then I had it correct. Correct? Or wrong, if playing it out of context. Correct?
B pedal down would be a:
..Sus4 if played at the 8th fret in the key of "C"
..Sus2 if played at the 5th fret in the key of "D"
Assuming the obvious, Standard Emmons E9th..
So u are still in the same coats.?
_________________
Steve Cagle |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 15 May 2024 7:43 am
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The cool thing about the sus chords is that they have elements of the common chords in the key you're in- I use a sus 2 when I get lost in a song as it always seems to sound cool no matter what chord you're playing over  . |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 15 May 2024 8:14 am
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| Bent Romnes wrote: |
| It leaves you hanging. |
There ya go. Thus the name. |
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Brett Lanier
From:
Hermitage, TN
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Posted 15 May 2024 8:19 am
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| There’s a nice sus4 chord up 3 frets with just the C pedal. |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 15 May 2024 8:21 am
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In the pedals-up position, I will often play 5,6 & 7 - the 7th string is an add 2 (think of the very first chord in the Carpenters' 'Close to you') and is a nice 'color' in place of a straight 1,3,5 major.
Pick 5,6,7 then 5,6,8 repeatedly.
That's another sus chord but, having said that, the suspended 4th resolving to the major 3rd is by far the most common (and effective, if played on steel! )
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, B-bender Teles, Martins, and a Gibson Super 400!
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 15 May 2024 9:37 am
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| Jim Palenscar wrote: |
| The cool thing about the sus chords is that they have elements of the common chords in the key you're in- I use a sus 2 when I get lost in a song as it always seems to sound cool no matter what chord you're playing over . |
Agreed!!
A fairly safe place to go when you don't know the next chord!
~Lee |
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