Lately I've been playing a type of chord I don't think I've ever seen in the music books I've read. See, I can play the root 5 barre chords well as long as you don't ask me to play the note on the first string. I deaden it:
1E ---X---
2B ---5---(e)---ring finger
3G ---5---(c)---ring finger
4D ---5---(g)---ring finger
5A ---3---(c)---index finger
6E ---X---
All fine and dandy. That example is a C chord moveable shape. I've seen books ask you to suspend the chord by playing:
1E ---X---
2B ---6---(f)---pinky
3G ---5---(c)---ring
4D ---5---(g)---ring
5A ---3---(c)---index
6E ---X---
Yet I find too often I accidentally put my pinky over the first string like:
1E ---6---(a#)---pinky
2B ---6---(f)---pinky
3G ---5---(c)---ring
4D ---5---(g)---ring
5A ---3---(c)---index
6E ---X---
and I actually like the sound. When I play just a 7th chord that pinky note sounds so bright/high-pitched. When I suspend the note on the second strings along with it it seems to take my mind off of it.
So, would this be called a C7sus4? Do any of you out there play this chord? If so, do you play it as a substitue for a C7 or a Csus4?
???
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
A c7sus4 would be C F G Bb, wouldn't it? So played at the 3rd fret it would be:
e-------------- 3 (G)
B-------------- 6 (F)
G-------------- 3 (Bb)
D-------------- 5 (g)
A----------------3 (c)
E-----------------
Right? Or am I confused?
No wait, you've got a C7sus4 too. It confused me because I'm used to adding on to the regular chord shape.
I don't know why you couldn't substitute it, though it changes the tone quality. It seems like you'd be more likely to substitute it for the Csus4 than for the C7 itself, but that's just a guess. Doesn't it seem like most of the time the suspended chords play off the normally voiced chord to add a bit of interest to the chord? Maybe it's just the stuff I play but it seems like the suspended chord always follows the regular chord or resolves back to it. But I have no idea why that's the case.
All right, if it's not evident already, I've no idea what I'm talking about but I think it's an interesting question. I'll shut up now (I know, you're thinking I should have shut up a long time ago!!!!)
Tim
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
No, I dig your answer! I was kinda scared when you started out saying well this is a C7sus4. I see what you mean. I typically play a C7 root 5 barre like:
string 1 ---3--- g
string 2 ---5--- e
string 3 ---3--- a#
string 4 ---5--- g
string 5 ---3--- c
string 6 ---X---
And I suspect you do too. I'll have to try it that way and suspend the 2nd string. Unfortunately, too often I find with rood 5 or root 6 barre chords, I lose some notes when playing very clean. My index barre is used to holding down the strings near the edge of the fretboard not really the middle. So I prefer this shape much more:
string 1 ------
string 2 ---5---
string 3 ---5---
string 4 ---5---
string 5 ---3---
string 6 ------
I'd concur that the sus chords tend to hop right back to normal and that they are just there to add some off color to the sound and "straighten up" quickly.
"Nothing...can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts."
