Musicians' Guide: Identifying and Understanding Suspended (Sus) Chords
In the world of music, suspended chords, or sus chords, serve as a versatile tool for creating tension, ambiguity, and motion. These chords, commonly used in various genres such as pop, rock, jazz, folk, gospel, soul, and classical music, add a unique flavor to compositions.
In folk and rock music, sus chords often embellish or replace standard major chords, adding a floating, unresolved sound. For example, Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" famously oscillates between F, Fsus4, and C chords, using sus4 for a folk-style suspension and motion effect. In pop and rock ballads, a Gsus4 chord played slowly on piano creates gentle, unresolved yearning, while the same chord as a distorted guitar power chord can build anticipation for a chorus.
In jazz and funk, suspended chords, especially extended forms like 7sus4 (a sus4 triad plus a minor seventh) and 9sus4 (adding a major ninth), give lush, complex sonorities. The 7sus4 often substitutes for dominant 7th chords to soften harshness but retain forward movement, as exemplified in the ii-V-I progression where a G7sus4 resolves to a G7 before landing on Cmaj7.
Sus chords’ lack of a third creates harmonic ambiguity that works across genres for dreamy soundscapes, moments of suspense, or floating textures. The tension generated by the sus4 (e.g., in Gsus4, the 4th wants to resolve down to the 3rd) leads to satisfying resolutions, a classic device in Western harmony.
In popular songs like "Pinball Wizard" by The Who, "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty, "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd, "Every Breath You Take" by The Police, "Naima" by John Coltrane, and "Blue in Green" by Miles Davis, suspended chords are employed to great effect. In more contemporary music, such as modern worship music, sus chords continue to find a home.
The structure of a sus chord is straightforward: it replaces the third of a traditional triad with either the second or the fourth degree of the scale. For instance, Csus4 has the formula: C, F, G. The Sus2 chord, on the other hand, follows the formula: root, major second, perfect fifth (e.g., Csus2 = C, D, G).
Sus chords can create pronounced dissonance, particularly between the suspended fourth and the major seventh (a tritone interval), making them popular in jazz, fusion, and modern pop for color and tension. Examples include G7sus4, Gmaj7sus4, and Dm7sus.
In conclusion, suspended chords offer musicians a rich and diverse harmonic palette. Whether used for gentle tension and movement in folk and rock, lush, complex sonorities in jazz and funk, or ambiguous, ethereal textures in pop and ballads, sus chords are a valuable tool in the contemporary musician's arsenal.
In addition to their utility in music, online education platforms offer a wealth of resources on the subject of suspended chords, providing a valuable opportunity for both beginners and experienced musicians to deepen their understanding of this versatile tool in education-and-self-development.
After a long day of practice and exploration, one might find relaxation in entertainment such as movies, games, or even streaming live performances featuring various artists masterfully employing suspended chords in their compositions.
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