What Chords Do I Have?

looking at the first chord.....do you mean this?

E A D G B E
0 7 9 9 7 7......

It's a variation on Esus2, which most would say technically doesn't exist, it's just another voicing of Bsus4.....

in the 2nd chord, again it's a variation of Dsus2 (or Asus4) but with the root E note, probably written as Dsus2/E or Asus4/E...the third one is a variation of Csus2, or Gsus4, so again Csus2/E or Gsus4/E....the slash simply indicates that the root note is different to what would normally be played.....

I don't want to get into that sus4/sus2 argument again.....there's a thread going on in theory right now....

:D :D :D

Vic

For all intents and purposes, they're sus2, and if you see sus2 'out there', then that's the pattern they're referring to. Technically, that's not correct, but it is (I think) too commonly held to be worthwhile correcting.

Think of it like batteries and cells - the little round things we call batteries are technically cells, and multiple cells are called a battery (singular). Is it worth explaining that to every shop keeper you ever want to buy a pack of cells from? :wink:

You can write chords like this:

x799777 (x means don't play that string)

0799777 (0 means do play that string, but open - not fingered)

But I'm wondering if you have your numbers in the right spots?

Judging by the chord letters you've quoted, could you have meant this?

799777 (which is B minor)

577555 (which is A minor)

355333 (which is G minor)

That's if I've got it right.... :?

Not sure what key you'd be in though.

Cheers,

Chris

PS Vic, please correct me if I stuffed that up (Phew, 3-0 eh....whoops how did that slip in there... :evil: )

I'll go with Vic, to the extent that these are just derived from the A shaped barre chord. The note, on the B string is dropped from the 3rd degree to a 2nd degree - making it, as far as I a, concerned, a sus2 chord.

I think we all agree, that theory is the result of experience and observation, so I'll accept sus2 chords, based on that presumption.

The low E string should NOT be played in my opinion - it just muddies the remaining chord tones.

I haven't really payed proper attention to the 'add9' thread in the theory forum. But I have alwasy referred to such chords as add9 i.e a chord with a 9th added (A-C#-E-B), but without a 7th as for a 'proper' A9 (A-C#-E-G-B)

An add9 would, normally, also have the 3rd present, which is not the case, here.

I'm just starting to get into barre chords, so fifth fret is A, seventh is B, third is G...are those the names? Is there an easier way to write them out?

Don't you guys think that perhaps Indy is not actually intending to play 'sus' or 'add' chords, but has just got a little mixed up with where A, B and G are - either at the writing, or the fingering stage?

What he has said applies to the basic E shape - which is one of the first shapes that you try out when you 'start to get into barre chords'. Barre the fifth fret and it becomes an A, barre 7th and it's a B, and it's a G when the barre is on the third fret - which are exactly the names and positions that he mentions.

He does say that he's only just starting to get into barre chords, so minor instead of major, and one string over seem easy enough mistakes to make. Why mention those names otherwise?

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks, fellas! More interesting than I thought. To clarify a few points, though, I'm playing what I'm playing "on purpose." Basically it's a barred A-minor without the B-string fretted- so 0779977, 0557755, etc. is right. It just sounded the way I wanted it to at the time. I'm playing the low E string bc I'm playing an acoustic, and I think the sustained tone of the open E adds a certain power to the sound. I probably wouldn't play the low E, or at least wouldn't play it open, on an electric; however, I don't have that option right now (and let's not get started on why that is :x :x :x ) That's why I was writing a song with power chords at midnight...
Thanks for being here for me, folks...I don't currently have anyone else around me to talk music with. Not making it, anyway. :wink:

That's why I was writing a song with power chords at midnight...
....but you're not playing power chords. A "power chord", which is not really a chord, but an interval, consists of only the root and 5th of a scale. So a C power chord would be C and G - usually (i.e. excluding the 3rd string problem) found one string and 2 frets higher than the root, e.g C on the A string at the 3rd fret + G on the D string at the 5th fret.
The chords, that you have listed, contain both the 3rd and the 2nd, so they're not power chords.

They're add9 chords voiced without a 3rd -- which is perfectly common

In that case, the Esus2 chord is that - even got root E at the bottom!

The Dsus2 would still be that, but with an E as the root....however, E IS the 2nd note in the scale of D, so technically it's just an inversion....like playing an A chord and sounding the bottom E string open.....

But the Csus2, with an E root...you'd have the I - II - III - V of the C scale, or to put it another way, the I - III - V - !X of the scale, so technically that would be an inversion of a Cadd9 chord.....

You could always write them as Esus2, Dsus2/E and Cadd9/E.....

:D :D :D

Vic

Can't write them that way Vic, 'cause suspensions aren't chords.

I dont' want to fire this "debate" up again, but they are not chords. Anyone writting a chord with "sus" in the name is simply making an error.

It's simply a matter of definition. A suspension is a non-harmonic event over a three note series that includes a prepared dissonance, the dissonance and a resolution done one scale step. To form a suspension, three melodic notes in success are required. The pattern is: tone, same tone, 1 diatonic step down from tone. Suspensions occure between two voices, even in 4 or more voice harmony, the other voices do not take part.

That is what a supspension is. It is not a chord. It never has been a chord, and no matter how many guitarists insist upon using the terminology, it never will be a chord. It requires a 3 note series.

But .....they sound good.....can you imagine "Badge" without the Csus2 in the Bridge.....? Or the Esus2 in the first two lines of each verse?

:D :D :D

Vic

If I were graded I'd get an F in theory. Still, I'd call 'em sus2 chords. Why? Sus because (as someone said) the third is not present. If the third is present it turns into and add9 chord.

More the reason I call it a sus2 is play the thing. Doesn't it sound like it needs something or something is off? If you play that while the rest of the band plays the third it doesn't sound so "off."