Chords like Asus4

[yeartwo]

I was wondering what notes like Asus4 means, like suspended or something.

[Virgman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspended_chord

 

More about chords:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_%28music%29

[Poparad]

 

I was wondering what notes like Asus4 means, like suspended or something.

 

 

Yes, 'sus' is short for suspended.

 

The short of it: An A major chord is made up of three notes: A root (A), a 3rd (C#), and a 5th (E). In an Asus4 chord, the 3rd is replaced by the 4th note of the A scale, D. Asus4 would be spelled A, D, E. To make an Asus4 chord, just find wherever there's a C# in the chord and move it up one note to a D.

 

Likewise, Asus2 (or sometimes just A2 for short) would be the same, except replacing the 3rd with the 2nd of the A scale, B.

 

The origin of the name came from this progression:

 

G -> Dsus4 -> D -> G

 

The first two chords are the most important in setting this up. The 'sus4' in a Dsus4 chord is the note G, which obviously is also part of a G chord. When the chords change from G to Dsus4, the note 'G' is held over, or 'suspended,' across the chord change, and then later resolved to a D major chord. In other words, the note 'G' doesn't change with the rest of the notes on the chord change, but is delayed and changes later.

 

In modern usage, this specific preparation for sus4 chords isn't used, but this is the origin of the sound and the name.

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