These THREE CHORDS Are All The SAME Chord

[@christopherheckman7957]

One reason that sus2 chords don't show up in classical theory is because the suspended chords are secondary to actual suspensions. The sus4 chord comes from a 4-3 suspension. There is no 2-1 suspension; it's usually called a 9-8 suspension instead. In classical theory, you need to prepare suspensions, which means (in terms of chords) going from a chord where the note is consonant to one (the sus4 chord) where it is dissonant, to a chord where the suspended pitch has dropped by a 2nd. For instance, C-Gsus4-G, but not E-Gsus4-G, since the E doesn't contain a C.

[@artemisnite]

Wow, this is too cool. As soon as I saw the title, I realized how you were right. This is similar to a realization I recently had. Whether it's the 7 rubbing against the 1 in a 7 chord, or a 6 against a 5 in a 6 chord, or those neighboring notes in a sus chord, add 9, etc. it seems that it's always the two notes a whole or half tone apart played together anywhere in the chord that make the chords sound so good. Aside from holding and releasing tension, playing with where I put those two notes or whether I use them or not is how I can make more interesting melodies! I think...

[@ZetaCarinae]

This sort of thing is why I like to visualize chords on a circle (ie like a clock).

[@mastertimb]

I feel like I learned something really important and valuable today, thank you Tommaso! This reminds me of the symmetry and function of augmented and diminished chords as well.

[@davejones4292]

Awesome video on a subject I've really been wanting to ask about. I enjoy listening to the music of Joe Hisaishi (from the Miyazaki animated movies) and I've watched a lot of videos about quartal chords and thought about how I can incorporate them into my playing and songwriting. And now, just like MAGIC, I learn that I already know tons of quartal chords and have been using them practically since I first started playing guitar. AMAZING! Grazie, grazie, mille grazie!

[@jonwill]

Interesting presentation; thank you for sharing.

[@thomaswalker8790]

Absolutely amazing! Super great 👍👍👍. How come no one talks about this but you???? You just aced it buddy

[@markoburrows]

"Fight to the death" - I laughed my socks off. Thank you Sir!

[@bass3966]

Thank you 👍👍

[@smalleranimals]

I'd bet that 90% of all sus2 or sus4 chords in rock are D sus2 or sus4, because they are so easy to do on a guitar.

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

bar sus 2 chords are also super easy to play

[@arthasmenethil5748]

you forgot F sus 2 in first position

[@ronaldzilli2005]

Great explanation!

[@somasundaramsankaranarayan4592]

I have a totally unrelated question. When we play a note on the guitar or any other instrument, it has a base frequency x but also other frequencies such as 2x, 3x, 4x, etc. are also still there but in lower amplitudes compared to the base. Naturally created sound always seems to have this aspect. A note an octave higher would contain frequencies 2x, 4x, etc. Is it because of the overlap we regard them as the same note? If music was made with pure sine waves, would we still have the same naming system? Would chord inversions be really considered as the same chord?

[@simongross3122]

I think you are right. It used to be considered discordant to have an interval a fourth above the bass (clashes with the 5th which would be the second harmonic). Also why we avoid second inversions, particularly of the tonic chord.

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

I may do a video about all that ;-)

[@simongross3122]

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar It's quite interesting that second inversion chords are often easier to play on guitar, and there they don't sound as bad as perhaps piano or other instruments. Guitar must be a magical instrument :)

[@patrickfouhy9102]

Boy. The number of times I've had people argue with me about that over the years. haha.

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Same here. I made the video so I can just point them here ;-)

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

Enharmonic

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Usually, "enharmonic" refers to situations where you are considering an Ab as if it were a G#, that is, it's a word specifically used when you deal with a sharp/flat ambiguity. That is not what's happening here. But in the general sense of "same sound, different notation", yes, you're right. (I'm writing all this before someone thinks of starting a flame war on the "correct" use of "enharmonic".)

[@christopherheckman7957]

You forgot about quintal harmony.

[@MusicTheoryForGuitar]

Nope. Just decided to make the video on the point and address the MANY differences between quartal and quintal somewhere else.