| Author |
Topic: sus chords. |
Russell Adkins
From:
Louisiana, USA
|
Posted 28 Jan 2020 8:53 pm |
|
| I have a basic chord chart but it dosent have any suspended chords on it sus sus2 sus4 if its a 4 note chord what would you leave out only to use 3 fingers? where and how can it be played anyone? There is also a sus 7th chord sometimes it is used to replace a maj 7th or played as a turn around , great sounding chords. Russ |
|
|
 |
Thomas Stone
From:
San Francisco
|
Posted 28 Jan 2020 9:05 pm
|
|
A sus4 chord has notes 1 4 5
A sus2 chord has notes 1 2 5
A dominant 7th 7sus4 chord has notes 1 4 5 b7
A dominant 7th 7sus2 chord has notes 1 2 5 b7
In either case, if there's a bass player playing the 1, just play the top three notes. If there's no bass player, leave out the 5.
If this isn't clear, come on back.
One nit-picking technical point: True suspensions always resolve downward, so a "sus2" as usually played is not really a suspension, but a retardation. A sus9, which involves the same notes, but resolves downward to 8, is a true suspension.
Last edited by Thomas Stone on 30 Jan 2020 8:08 pm; edited 4 times in total |
|
|
|
Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 28 Jan 2020 11:22 pm
|
|
Russell, here is a thread on the topic of sus chords https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=241826
I hope that is some of what you are asking about. It gets out there in a hurry, though. I consider myself to have a pretty good grasp of useable theory, but the guys in that thread are in it with shovels and pick axes. I enjoy basic quartal harmony as much as the next geek, but do I really need to know all 7 sus4 chords in Locrian mode? That’s like.....work!
It is interesting to note that a simple Isus4 chord (1-4-5) can be thought of as IVsus9 (5-1-9) and V7sus4 (4-7-1), all using the same notes in the same sequence, such as G-C-D.
I prefer “sus9†over “sus2â€. Just the way I think, even if the 9 is in the lower register. I don’t need a semantics lecture, in case any music theory police out there are reading. |
|
|
|
Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 28 Jan 2020 11:30 pm
|
|
Here is a simpler discussion on the basic idea and practical application of sus chords:
http://www.simplifyingtheory.com/suspended-chords/
Your B pedal is a convenient way to access some sus chord grips, strings 10-8-6, 9-8-6, 8-6-5, 6-5-4, 5-4-3. Also, no pedals 10-8-7, 8-7-5, 5-4-1. |
|
|
|
Charles Kurck
From:
Living in Arkansas but Heaven is home
|
|
|
|
George Biner
From:
Los Angeles, CA
|
Posted 30 Jan 2020 8:23 pm
|
|
I think there should be no rule of which notes to play in a chord except to listen to what needs to be played and play that. Depends on context of the song, what the other instruments are doing and the current role of the steel (support or soloing, static or moving).
Also, I've seen people play with four total picks (1 thumb, 3 finger) instead of three -- that gives you the ability to play much fuller chords if you can handle the extra pick. I would think if you're playing a lot of complex songs with 4 and 5 note chords, this might be a necessity or else you're going to be making a lot of decisions on which notes to omit.
By the way, I always wondered where the name came from , so, from Wikipedia: "The term is borrowed from the contrapuntal technique of suspension, where a note from a previous chord is carried over to the next chord, and then resolved down to the third or tonic, suspending a note from the previous chord. "
_________________
Guacamole Mafia - acoustic harmony duo
Electrical engineer / amp tech in West Los Angeles -- I fix Peaveys
"Now there is a snappy sounding instrument. That f****r really sings." - Jerry Garcia |
|
|
|
Ben Michaels
From:
Ohio, USA
|
Posted 1 Feb 2020 6:54 am
|
|
This is the clearest summary of sus chords I have ever seen:
"A sus4 chord has notes 1 4 5
A sus2 chord has notes 1 2 5
A dominant 7th 7sus4 chord has notes 1 4 5 b7
A dominant 7th 7sus2 chord has notes 1 2 5 b7
In either case, if there's a bass player playing the 1, just play the top three notes. If there's no bass player, leave out the 5.
If this isn't clear, come on back."
Thanks Thomas! |
|
|
|
Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
|
Posted 1 Feb 2020 11:37 pm
|
|
A while back I discovered the sus2, ie, 1,2, 5, makes for a tonally interesting substitute chord.
You all are familiar with out favorite chord lick whereby we mash pedal B and rock onto pedal A. Try not rocking onto A. this yields a sus2. It can be used in place of any chord in the typical 1/4/5 progression.
Before that discovery I was strictly a sus4 guy. |
|
|
|
Chris Walke
From:
St Charles, IL
|
Posted 3 Feb 2020 8:09 am Re: sus chords.
|
|
| Russell Adkins wrote: |
| I have a basic chord chart but it dosent have any suspended chords on it sus sus2 sus4 if its a 4 note chord what would you leave out only to use 3 fingers? where and how can it be played anyone? There is also a sus 7th chord sometimes it is used to replace a maj 7th or played as a turn around , great sounding chords. Russ |
Lots of very in depth discussion linked here. Not sure if that's what you were looking for or quick & easy way to find those chords?
The sus2 chord is kinda like my favorite chord. It can sound dark & mysterious in some progressions, it can sound brighter in others, I guess because it is neither major nor minor. I don't think too much about sus2 vs add9. It really just boils down to what sounds right when.
Sus chords encourage movement or resolution. So to me the easiest sus2 is the A/B pedals down position of a chord, but with only the B pedal down. Encourages you to make that move we all make, slowly bring in the A pedal to resolve.
Sus4 is most easily found at the pedals up position of a chord, add the B pedal. Usually seems to be a situation where I add the 4th, then left off the B pedal and resolve.
Many ways to accomplish this stuff with other positions & grips. I find what I described to be the most obvious way to find the chords. |
|
|
|
