| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic ? about suspended chords
Goto page 1, 2, 3  Next
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  ? about suspended chords
Roy McKinney

 

From:
Ontario, OR
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 1:06 pm    
Reply with quote

What is a Csus chord and how would you make it?
What is the purpose of it?
The chord progression I am in is:
Key of F going from a Eb to an F back to Eb then to a C and then a Csus.
Or should I just ignor it?
Thanks
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Eric West


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 1:38 pm    
Reply with quote

Sus4 chords are the bane of the bandstand. They clash with anybody that is playing the major third of that chord. Just like Major 7ths, they cause a half step clash. If you are not playing with any other instruments, have at it.

It is a note you can play to start a phrase IF you don't know whether the upcming chord is a I, IV, or V, as it fits them. As a played chord though, like I said, if nobody else is playing the same octave third they tweak your teeth..

The best notes to play against an uncertain melody or even most chords if you are uncertain are the ninth or the sixth. Seventh notes or chords are the second most irritating if someone else is playing a 6th chord or note in a pentatonic scale.

JHMO and Exp.

Gotta head to the Gateway Elks for my weekly gig. Long week at the salt mines too..

Smile

EJL/HFLE
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
chas smith R.I.P.


From:
Encino, CA, USA
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 2:10 pm    
Reply with quote

A sus chord has a suspended 3rd, so a Csus would be, C, F, G and perhaps Bb. One way of analyzing it would be that it is a "G7" going to a C7 if you are going to a C7.

Where the sus chords are used the most, is when you want to keep the music "neutral", like in film scoring when the music has to "hang" over a cue. They do this because they don't define an actual tonic.
View user's profile Send private message
Jim Palenscar

 

From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 3:08 pm    
Reply with quote

Actually I love the sus chords (easily played at the open position using just the B pedal) because when I'm not sure where the band is (ie.- "I'm lost")- I can hang on the sus chord of the 1 and it generally fits but sounds cool as it has elements of the 4 and 5 in it so is a nice chameleon chord.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Eric West


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 3:19 pm    
Reply with quote

Actually, I agree with the sus4 note.

Try this, lay the sus4 chord on the first beat of the measure with other instruments good and strong. Let it ring. Do it at the I, IV and V.

If it sounds good....

Kind of like the old rockabilly 13th, that sounds good only as a cliche...

It "implies" the 4 chord or the root of the IV chord or the dom7th of the V.

It's not a bad passing note, but best by itself, or a passing note.

Gotta go listen to and play against way too many sus4s here in an hour or so... All night.

Smile

EJL
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Ben Jones


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 3:36 pm    
Reply with quote

prdon my ignorance on theory but isnt this chord used in rock alot, bouncing back and forth betwen the sus4 and the I? Pinball Wizard or Squeezebox by the Who for example?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Andy Sandoval


From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 7:57 pm    
Reply with quote

The first 4 or 8 bars of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" wouldn't sound the same without those suspended chords. Smile
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 10:00 pm    
Reply with quote

Ben Jones wrote:
prdon my ignorance on theory but isnt this chord used in rock alot, bouncing back and forth betwen the sus4 and the I? Pinball Wizard or Squeezebox by the Who for example?


That's correct.

The easiest way to make a C sus is to place the bar on the 8th fret and hit the B pedal.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Christopher Woitach


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 17 Sep 2010 10:55 pm    
Reply with quote

If your progression says Csus, I wouldn't ignore it - that would sound just as bad as playing it when no one else is, as Eric W mentions.
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Les Green


From:
Jefferson City, MO, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 5:39 am    
Reply with quote

I always thought they were called 'suspicious' or 'suspected chords', not to be confused with demented chords. Rolling Eyes
_________________
Les Green
73 MSA D10 8&4, 74 MSA S10 3&5, Legrande II 8&9, Fender Squier 6 string, Genesis III, Peavey 1000
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ben Jones


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 5:54 am    
Reply with quote

Mike Perlowin wrote:
Ben Jones wrote:
prdon my ignorance on theory but isnt this chord used in rock alot, bouncing back and forth betwen the sus4 and the I? Pinball Wizard or Squeezebox by the Who for example?


That's correct.

The easiest way to make a C sus is to place the bar on the 8th fret and hit the B pedal.


Hmmm..i never play one of those on pedal steel. i wonder why? maybe its a strummy thing?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Barry Blackwood


Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 6:43 am    
Reply with quote

Quote:
Sus4 chords are the bane of the bandstand.

Quote:
Gotta go listen to and play against way too many sus4s here in an hour or so... All night.

Quote:
Hmmm..i never play one of those on pedal steel. i wonder why? maybe its a strummy thing?

Would somebody explain the (musical) logic behind any of these quotes? Confused
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Eric West


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 6:53 am    
Reply with quote

No.

Wink

EJL
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Barry Blackwood


Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 6:58 am    
Reply with quote

Figured as much. Neutral
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 7:22 am    
Reply with quote

I'm dismayed at how rude people can be when asked a straightforward music theory question. Oh Well

Quote:
What is a Csus chord and how would you make it?

The C major chord contains 3 notes: C E G. Csus is actually Csus4. It raises the E to F, so the notes are C F G. We can get it on E9th pedal steel at the 8th fret with the "B" pedal.

Quote:
What is the purpose of it?
The chord progression I am in is:
Key of F going from a Eb to an F back to Eb then to a C and then a Csus.

Composers often use a Vsus4 when they don't want the 7th tone of the scale to be heard. In this case, the progression in F is using a b7 chord (Eb), and the melody probably uses the F mixolydian scale (which flats the 7th tone E to Eb). Using a Csus for the V chord keeps you from playing a non-scale note (E).

Quote:
Or should I just ignore it?

If you ignore it and everyone else is playing it, you'll sound like a hack. You'll be playing a note that sounds like it's in the wrong key. If the composer wanted it to be optional, he'd have written C11.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video


Last edited by b0b on 18 Sep 2010 7:30 am; edited 2 times in total
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Jerry Overstreet


From:
Louisville Ky
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 7:22 am    
Reply with quote

I think of sus's as temporary tension builders. I think the pedal steel is a natural instrument for sus chords.

I've never heard an example where a sus2 or 4 sounds out of balance in the context of written work.

I try to play whatever is in the song and whatever the charts call for. I can't understand why anyone would choose to arbitrarily dismiss a change unless they just don't know how to make it.
View user's profile Send private message
Ben Jones


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 8:57 am    
Reply with quote

Barry Blackwood wrote:
Quote:
Sus4 chords are the bane of the bandstand.

Quote:
Gotta go listen to and play against way too many sus4s here in an hour or so... All night.

Quote:
Hmmm..i never play one of those on pedal steel. i wonder why? maybe its a strummy thing?

Would somebody explain the (musical) logic behind any of these quotes? Confused


Erics quotes are inexplicable as always Razz . Mine tho, should be self explanataory. Rolling Eyes On guitar the sus4 is often used when strumming, bouncing off the I chord. On psg with an E9th copedant, theres not alot of strumming going on. Perhaps this is why I never use the sus4 on pedal steel whereas on gutar its common? geez.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 9:13 am    
Reply with quote

What does strumming have to do what kind of chord you're making?

What is the problem with picking strings 4,5, and 6 and stepping on the B pedal?
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Barry Blackwood


Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 9:52 am    
Reply with quote

Ben, what Mike said ....
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
CrowBear Schmitt


From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 9:56 am    
Reply with quote

i would not disregard the Sus4 if it's in the chart Roy
ok if in doubt lay out & come back next week havin' learned it
it's a simple & fun chord
the sus4 has the 4th tone instead of the 3rd
the sus4 & the 11th chords have been mainstay chords in rock & Pop for decades now
the 11 has the same 4th but an octave higher & the dom7 in the middle
for those of us who learned how to play guitbox, we learned that Sus4chord w: our pinky on string one at fret 3 when playin' a D chord as well as learnin' a barred A chord on fret 2 w: the middle finger on string 2 at fret 3
which on E9 is equivalent to using the B pedal as Mike P mentions
or on C6 w: the lever that raise the As to Bb
i prefer the 11th chord havin' first noticed it among black musicians: gospel, motown - a lot of those tunes end w: an 11th when playin' the 5 chord
both these chords Sus4 & 11th are great cause they make for a lot of space & time - even tho' they call for a resolve, there's no rush - you can just let them hang & wait
like when the preacher says : "take the time "

Al Jarreau's " does any body wanna dance up on the roof " has 11th chords goin' back to the 1 all over it
" Callin' Elvis " by Dire straits uses them too
it's a natural on E9 : key of B raising & lowering string 4 ( & 8 )


Last edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 18 Sep 2010 10:07 am; edited 3 times in total
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
John Billings


From:
Ohio, USA
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 10:04 am    
Reply with quote

Jerry O is the only one who has mentioned the sus2. I was starting to wonder what happened to it. If the music says Csus, does that always mean a sus4? The sus2 is the reason I lower my 6th string a whole tone. With a grip consisting of strings 5, 6, and 8, you have the sus4 with the B pedal, the major chord, with no pedals, and the sus2 with the knee lower. It's a simple, but fluid, and pleasant-sounding movement.
C sus2=C, D, G
So, again, does Csus always mean Csus4?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Don Brown, Sr.

 

From:
New Jersey
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 10:45 am    
Reply with quote

If it's not implied, it's usually considered to be a Sus4
View user's profile Send private message
Bo Legg


Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 11:13 am    
Reply with quote

b0b presents some good logic here so I would only add some insight on ways to use suspended chords as substitutions without sounding like clams.
I have found that if you arpeggio the chord in triplets and move from suspended2 to major to suspended 4 to major you can use this about any time as a substitution for a dominate chord. You will only interject a slight tension but the trade off is that you will get noticed. This only works well if the whole band doesn’t get the idea that it is cool and decides to go with you. Too much of a good thing or bad thing.
Also I have found that a sus2 as the tonic works well (although I’m not sure it is technically correct since I also included the 3rd).
Here is an example. This is one of my favorite licks using this approach.



If you want to be a little more subtle use this



Last edited by Bo Legg on 18 Sep 2010 12:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message
b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 11:15 am    
Reply with quote

John Billings wrote:
Jerry O is the only one who has mentioned the sus2. I was starting to wonder what happened to it. If the music says Csus, does that always mean a sus4?

Yes, sus implies sus4 by default. The sus2 is usually called an add9, as there's no harm in including the 3rd.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Bo Legg


Post  Posted 18 Sep 2010 12:25 pm    
Reply with quote

The sus2 and sus4 chords are both major and minor. A Csus4 is also an Fsus2 and a G7sus4 or an Abmaj13 or a C#maj7b5 or will it never end?
View user's profile Send private message

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron