The coolest chord you should know

These chords are SUS.
A tutorial on what sus chords are, why they're cool and how to use them and alter them in interesting ways.
A few things I picked up on:
1. Probably should've played the example in the same key I was explaining everything in.
2. I should've physically done more examples with the formula.
I'm learning so much from making these videos. So hopefully they'll improve as I go!
I'll gladly answer any questions in the comments :)
Socials:
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Instagram: / emilevpiano
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00:00 Intro
00:49 What is a sus chord?
01:55 Basics you need to know
02:29 Add the flat 7
03:04 Spread voicing
03:33 A different angle
03:56 The formula
04:25 Major 7 fancy
04:54 How to use it
05:12 Example
05:28 Bonus tips (Inversions)
06:09 Voicing the 3rd
07:03 Adding the minor 3rd
07:25 Too many chords

[@EmileVpiano]

Check out my latest video! 'Play any POP song like a pro WITHOUT SHEET MUSIC' kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6HPoYOZrJh0ga8

[@Pongant]

I don't trust them

[@prod.lanista]

They're 100% the impostor

[@joemomma6317]

LMAO

[@makcings4764]

sussy fourth

[@matthewblue7839]

Cus you sus-pect their musicality ?:)

[@xaigamer3129]

i saw Bsus4 vent

[@nezkeys79]

Took me years to love the sound of add4 (a major 3rd and a 4th at the same time). I think the reason it sounds good is because it forms part of the minor 11 chord which is a really pretty chord. For example CEFG (cadd4) are notes in D minor 11

[@lumi2015]

Oh, if you love that 4th with the 3rd you’ll love maj7add4(6/9). Or specifically with Eb as the root as reference to the voicing I think of: Eb3 - Ab3 - D4 - F4 - G4 - C5 (or if you want a wider voicing: Eb3 - Ab3 - D4 - G4 - C5 - F5). I actually just came up with this as I looked at your comment, and you unintentionally made me find my favorite chord of all time this far, even beating maj7b5! Haha

[@nezkeys79]

@lumi2015 maj7 b5 forms part of a voicing used in 13 chords so I'm not surprised you like it. For example... LH: D RH: C E F# B

[@nezkeys79]

@lumi2015 and the example you gave is a stacking of 4ths. Most 4ths and 5ths stacked intervals sound cool 😎 Even the true perfect 4th stacking sounds cool 😎

[@lumi2015]

@@nezkeys79 Of course! Not surprised you notice that. The stacked fourths here really help to stabilize the add4 interval in the chord, and also I’m just a sucker for anything with P4/P5/aug4 relationships 😛 I do occasionally think of the maj7b5 as related to extended dominant harmony as the shell voicing you mentioned but often times my ears it sounds more like a predominant that emphasizes the etherealness of the IV and/or bVI. Though speaking of which, I think the reason why I love the chord so much is that it shares so many chord tones with IV7, you can almost see it as IV5/4(6,#11) and that’s how I hear it on its own. With that in mind, I could totally do something like Ebmaj7add4(6/9) - E7b9(bb11,13) - Bmaj7#11(6/9). *(1. LH: Eb, Ab, D | | RH: G, C, F.)* *(2: LH: E, Ab/G#, D | | RH: G, C#, F)* *(3: LH: B, G#, A# | | RH: F#, C#, E#)* Pretty isn’t it?

[@nezkeys79]

@lumi2015 yes. Btw how did you bold text? Is there a list commands for KZbin like spoilering text too?

[@pmd9801]

3:17 This is what videogame composers used a lot for stage complete jingles (or jingles in general), I didn't knew these were an advanced way to use sus chords. I learned them by hear of course, but it's nice to know the theory behind it and why it sounds so cool. Everytime I hear a piece using those chords I love it.

[@lucabloor1086]

These are chords I play everyday but it's so helpful to really understand the theory behind them and why they sound good. Thank you!

[@carsonfarmer5726]

Uhhh can I have the full sheet music to that first rendition of "isn't she lovely"? That was simply heavenly.

[@moleedaboi]

Always a treat finding a South African musician from the algorithm.

[@Narokx]

this was incredibly informative and in depth! After just doing a master class on dominant chords last week, watching this felt great video to pair with it. My brain is expanding :)

[@itsCronch]

Every once in a while, there is that video that comes along and levels up my improv in ways i didnt even think to before. Thanks for making this. Even just putting this into my improv has completely changed the way i think of transitioning chords

[@robinbakker6026]

Holy cow, the last minute sounds like a million bucks. Great video! 🥰

[@anassidrissi2650]

The tip of adding the minor 3rd or the major 3rd on top really unlocked new sounds for me

[@beegbomba]

This just blew open my perspective on chord building, bless you

[@Dratax9]

Amazing video, hope this channel goes far!

[@mkr9968]

This was a really well put together video man, keep up the good work :)

[@maicee7603]

ilove how chill you are while explaining it

[@sylux6985]

Great video man, this is super helpful! Thank you

[@PeterJoslynHarris]

Can't wait for more of your videos. So informative and beautiful.

[@jtb5867]

Great video man, keep it up

[@vanessalouzon]

Those chords at the end of the video are so so gorgeous!

[@ulysseschaslus2048]

You’re explanation is so good and the chords are really beautiful I’m subbing 🎉

[@ILLICITNOISE]

Wow! I don't 100% understand but this video has absolutely peaked my curiosity and I'm very excited to research this more, thanks for broadening my horizons. Could you do a video about resolving melodies?

[@Pooter-it4yg]

They're often used as a sound in their own right but it's interesting to consider how music was perceived even by improvisers until around the mid 50s. They thought in terms of V-Is not ii-V-Is. A sus chord is sometimes notated iim7/V or IV/V which gives a clue as to how they're often used as substitutes in functional harmony. They ambiguously crunch the ii-V or IV-V into a single sound. If you're so minded, you could see V7sus I as halfway between a plagal and perfect cadence. They're also used as an ambiguous alternative to what you might call a bluesy dominant I. In this sort of playing, you're not blurring the nature of the third, you're leaving it completely up to the listener's imagination. In a similar vein, susb9 chords can be seen as the minor cadence equivalent - ii half dim/V or iv/V. Taken all together this is why you can theoretically play any chord in a functional progression as a sus. Typically you'd solo with the "top hand" pentatonics over them. Eg G minor pentatonic (G Bb C D F) on a C7sus chord and G halfdim pentatonic (G Bb C Db F) on a C7susb9 chord. In a certain jazz style - think Tyner-Corea-Kirkland-Calderazzo - most dominant chords are played this way. Choosing the suspension of 2nd or 4th (or 11th) isn't usually relevant in the jazz context because we're generally doing both. And there are other options for pentatonics - eg for a C7sus13 sound play D minor pentatonic leaving the 7th implied rather than played as well as the 3rd. To learn to understand and use this sound it can help to pencil in slash chords on top of the originals. That way you have the shorthand playable blueprint for the substitution shown simultaneously with the original chord so you get to associate the two. As our host here humorously notes, you can overdo this but the best way to learn anything is to overdo it first, then apply taste to rein back in.

[@EmileVpiano]

Thanks for taking the time to elaborate in such detail! This is great for people looking for a deeper theoretical explanation and context.

[@fallen0005]

Wow, this is top-notch. Super helpful. Commenting for the algo so more people can see it.

[@gustaflembre4191]

Wow! I started the video thinking it was maybe going to be too entry-level but the way you approached voicing with intervals was very helpful and new to me! Cheers🙌🏼😊

[@EmileVpiano]

Thanks Gustaf!

[@tourdesource]

More upper structure rules of thumb, please! Great lesson!

[@gtberg]

I love me some SUS chords. They elevate my jazz to the next level.

[@Sham_Fl]

Sus bro

[@nik.olas328]

brilliant brother 🙏🏼

[@willyblondehair8070]

This is such a good video! Good job man!

[@colestooksbury1854]

Awesome video and excellent playing! Subscribed!

[@EmileVpiano]

Thank you!

[@AaronAsherRandall]

My dude. Instant subscribe. I guess I’m intermediate to advanced on Piano, but I’ve been playing music my whole life and went to school for music briefly. Your explanation of complex concepts are both brilliantly done and very relaxing. The way you edit in your monologue while playing is wonderful. Do you take requests? I’d love an analysis / tutorial on voicings that Domi uses from Domi and JD Beck.

[@EmileVpiano]

Thanks so much man! Great suggestion, might look into that ;)

[@PugCuber]

great video! I love how in-depth you went 🙂

[@EmileVpiano]

Thanks! 😁

[@zakariadamaj1804]

Good One !! . We need more videos

[@42merveilleux]

This is what I would call a great and useful video

[@dpprgrnd]

very useful thanks for the video

[@firefoxyouth]

such a good video, finally i have a grasp what this sus 11 9 edgar midtaper etc mean

[@dwaynemusik]

Wow let me start by saying thank you very much! I kinda knew what sus chords meant but you put it in context to chord progressions ive had a keyboard over 20 years and still can't play lol i get fustrated and keep stopping which is my fault 😢 but you did this tutorial absolutely beautiful!

[@EmileVpiano]

Glad you found this helpful Dwayne! 20 years or not, it’s never too late to pick it up again. Consistency is key, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. All the best to you man :)

[@fredirie]

keep these up man!!

[@EmileVpiano]

Thanks I’m planning on it!

[@buzzybees8604]

Every time he says sus I breathe slightly heavier out my nose

[@ameliasteynberg5841]

Oh, we use "howzit" as a greeting? Cool. Good to know. Might come in handy when I finally leave my room and talk to people for a change.

[@EricLeePiano]

thanks for making this video, being a mostly self taught musician i first found out about sus chords after listening to kent nishimura's music and noticing he often uses sus chords instead of dominant 7th chords, and ever since ive noticed it used in so many songs, and it just sounds so open and nice

[@stephenb4164]

very good.

[@Reaper-mw3ut]

bro got me good

[@cybergamez1442]

I knew I was bound to come across this note on youtube.

[@Thales220600]

OK I WANT TO DO THIS. My dream would be to get to know how someone improvises like you did in the beginning, can you recomend me what to study first? Like a mini kind of roadmap? Wanted to try to get it from the basics

[@agressiveburito9855]

Wow 😮 you deserve more subscribers

[@bigjenny7954]

Very very good content wow!!! Thank you so much:-)

[@marcusmiller3354]

GREAT VIDEO ❤❤

[@coloaten6682]

Great video Emile, thanks. One question: You said that you can use different inversions, depending on how you want to resolve the chord. Could you explain that further please? Maybe do a follow-on video that shows some examples of how the resolution works? Thanks! :)

[@EmileVpiano]

Thank you! What I meant was that your choice of the inversion on the sus chord is dependent on how you want to resolve to the I(1) chord i.e. how you want to voice lead from the sus chord to chord 1. But my point was really that you can play any inversion you want, it’s just good practice to keep in mind the voice leading to the next chord, even if it’s not chord 1 (which I now realize I should’ve clarified). I will be doing a video entirely dedicated to inversions soon though, so I’ll be sure to talk more about this!

[@collectitbydiyversity2442]

It would help if you show the chord progressions symbols while playing

[@dwaynemusik]

Im following immediately

[@aidag.1377]

I discovered suspended chords a long time ago they are awesome!

[@SticktheFigure]

Great video! I've been slowly trying to amass a bit of knowledge in jazz piano coming from a background of classical piano. An off topic question if you don't mind: I see you're playing on a Keylab 88. What piano library is that I'm hearing? The low-end on it is incredibly beautiful sounding in this kind of context.

[@EmileVpiano]

Thank you! I’m using NOIR from the Native Instruments library.

[@adrianherralgot4071]

amazing video

[@bac0ntoast]

does adding more sus chords typically make something sound jazzier? the last rendition of isnt she lovely was real jazzy and i kinda prefered it to what you played earlier with the sus 5.

[@lucziferbeats]

Great Video

[@thymick5581]

I started to say to myself "well, aonther youtuber trying to send to us something we already know" yeah for sure most of people know sus chord but when you joked at the beginnig of the video, you won! Then I heard you version of Lovely, simple but so beautiful. I have just few questions: - Did you add some bass effect with piano? - Why did you use a D9 as passing chord before C#min? Maybe a substitution I know about Dim chord but I do not understand Thx anyway!

[@EmileVpiano]

Thank you! I didn’t add any bass effect specifically. In this video I think I was using the ‘emotional’ preset on the NOIRE piano from Native Instruments. Going to the C#m I was thinking of a V - I cadence. You can resolve to any chord by playing the V of that chord before, since V holds tension that naturally wants to resolve to the relative I. But instead of playing the V of C#, which is G#7, I played the tritone substitution, D7 (D9#11 in this case).

[@christopherscott5152]

Nice play of words😆

[@Xelaris]

Sus kinda makes jazzy

[@ATartaruga]

5:11 this made me notice the end of California Girls sounds like Isn't She Lovely

[@SymphonicRon]

What piano patch is this? It sounds amazing, particularly in the lower end.

[@jakejacobs126]

Subscribed

[@RobandSijay]

As a musician and the new slang today this is hilarious to me lol

[@StickVince12]

I've actually came across sus chords while messing around in Synthesia

[@balladin9200]

5:50 the Ravel is overwhelming me

[@mind_money_morphology]

Die Suid Afrikaanse aksent is duk manneer! Lekker video

[@EmileVpiano]

Dankie!

[@mehdilacombe7241]

Am I crazy for thinking this was gonna be the among us noise?

[@bluesats]

Y'all need Gsus

[@machatronicgaming1761]

i think these chords are the imposter

[@somebodylikesbacon1960]

7:00 reminds me of ocarina of time title screen

[@Szzle77_GD]

When the piano is sus (pls laugh)

[@pocketsz1]

lol that pun tho...

[@georgechadwick8642]

Would labelling it as C7(sus9) not imply a major third due to dominant function?

[@vitsamutsu]

Nnnaaaaahhhhhh bro

[@YaBoiDoi]

Alright but which color keys can I trust the modt

[@thetemefoxyteam6618]

Me clicking the video thinking he would do among us memes

[@subedei.yesyes]

I use jazzy among us chords instead of dominant chords haha

[@biokode]

ahh - the voice of jazz?

[@suntzu6122]

Subbed! Well done man. Please keep that piano (that shows notes) in your videos!!! Either at the top or the bottom. Its very helpful to see what you are doing.

[@archungus]

whats the name of the watch youre wearing?

[@Omaga297]

Imposter cords 🗿

[@aintnowayyyyyy]

I clicked the video because the thumbnail said sus chords so i clicked thinking i was going to watch among us

[@maximosgr4104]

That thing in kinda Sus oh and red is the imposter

[@koentjoep3683]

🎶Isn’t the video lovely🎶 (sang with to many sus chords)

[@idontwannatypeaname]

suspicious

[@SnoopiGalupi]

What kind of keyboard are you playing on in this video?

[@EmileVpiano]

Arturia Keylab 88 MKII

[@Hyper_Slade]

3:52 Mario Kart type chord

[@xanderfay1300]

"sus chord" I thought it was a joke 💀

[@WILLBEATSONYT]

ඞ

[@aaronlusher288]

6:50

[@PhoizxlOkotie-gg6yx]

D song draw me close to u d pianist played this SUS chord. D bflat major over c😅😊

[@z3k673]

vote that chord

[@jamesverday7880]

I was expect some among us music...

[@thxstxmeitsdubstep]

Fun Fact: if you have a daw on your pc or mobile device and play these sus chords at the bpm tempo 69. you’ll know whos the imposter

[@vitsamutsu]

Baka

[@BLUEOCEANBEATS]

All these chords are SUS

[@L0yalDragon]

Man idk... I don't wanna try

[@cz11gamer5]

Waar kan ek vir lesse kom???

[@bwah9481]

sussy

[@soulcheckw2]

Isn't she lovely if Bill Evans were to play it :)

[@Ballfart69]

SUSSY BAKA AMOGUS SUS SUS SUS VENTED RED VENTED CREWMATE SUSS