Sus chords

["Umm, fish?"]

I've been playing around a lot with dominant scale with flat 9ths. I like the sound, and started trying to figure chords to play under them. What's seems to be working well is a sus b9. I was wondering typical ways people finger sus chords?

What I been doing is inverting so the root is on the E string. For example:

G sus b9:

E string: 3 (G, root)
A string: 5 (D, 5th)
D string: 6 (Ab, b9)
G string: 5 (C, 4th)

It's definitely an interesting sound and seems to go with the G7 b9 pretty well.

Thoughts? Opinions on where I could use this (I assume instead of dominant chords)?

Thanks!

[Mike Bunting]

I've been playing around a lot with dominant scale with flat 9ths. I like the sound, and started trying to figure chords to play under them. What's seems to be working well is a sus b9. I was wondering typical ways people finger sus chords?

What I been doing is inverting so the root is on the E string. For example:

G sus b9:

E string: 3 (G, root)
A string: 5 (D, 5th)
D string: 6 (Ab, b9)
G string: 5 (C, 4th)

It's definitely an interesting sound and seems to go with the G7 b9 pretty well.

Thoughts? Opinions on where I could use this (I assume instead of dominant chords)?

Thanks!

Here's some to mess with. Ithink I prefer to have the Root or 7th and the 3rd on the bottom.

E string: 4 (Ab, b9) E string: 4 (Ab, b9)
A string: 5 (D, 5th) A string: 3 (C, fourth)
D string: 5 (G, root) D string: 5 (G, root)
G string: 5 (C, 4th) G string: 4 (B, Third

E string: 4
A string: 3 (C, Fourth)
D string: 3(F, Seventh)
G string: 4 (B, Third)

[Bruce Clausen]

The sus chord would normally come before the dominant seven:

G7sus4 (G-C-D-F) to G7 (G-B-D-F)

If you want the Ab in both chords, you might think of the progression as a II-V:

Dm7b5 (D-F-Ab-C) to G7b9 (G-B-D-F-Ab)

How you voice these on mandolin is not very important, since other instruments in the group will be providing the bass and other chord tones. So you could play say x334 to x324. Or add the G: 0334 (there's your G7sus4b9 if you want to call it that) to 0324.

The scale that works most naturally with this progression is C minor (harmonic form):

G-Ab-B-C-D-Eb-F-G

["Umm, fish?"]

Cool guys, thanks!

Mike: I like the second voicing you posted a lot. I can't play the first one right now (my left pinky is taped to my third finger right now so it's just not working). But that second one is really nice.

Bruce: In this: "G7sus4 (G-C-D-F) to G7 (G-B-D-F)," are you saying that you would use the sus chord in place of a ii in a ii-V? Or, are you using the sus as a lead-in to a stand-alone dominant chord?

I like the II-V. I voiced it:

1
3
3
1

to

1
2
0
1

That's a nice resolution.

With regard to the scale, I like. The symmetry makes it nice and easy. Lot of half-steps to play with.

Thanks!

Essentially, I've finally been told I can play (in fact, I'm supposed to in order to keep flexibility), but with my finger hurt I've had way too much time to sit and read theory lately.

[Bruce Clausen]

Good, Andy. Yes, the sus chord functions much like the II in a II-V, in that it delays the dominant chord, and in particular that chord's third, the "leading tone". Compare Dm7 (D-F-A-C) leading to G7 with using G7sus4 (G-C-D-F) or even G9sus4 (G-C-D-F-A) for the same purpose. They use nearly the same notes, and with all of them you're keeping the B of the G7 as the last card you'll play before resolving to the tonic. And that really is why we use II chords. Other variants a jazz player might use are D7, D7b5, Dm7b5, Ab7. These vary in the details, but they all set up the dominant chord using a C that will resolve to B. The choice comes down to a matter of taste and style.

["Umm, fish?"]

Gotcha. It's all about delaying tactics, holding back the third of the dominant chord that then becomes the 7th of (and the voice leading to) the major. Thanks.