Understanding Suspended Chords: Theory and Application in Music

E Dorian contains seven seventh chords: E minor 7, F# minor 7, G major 7, A7, B minor 7, C# minor 7 flat 5, and D major 7. Each scale degree produces a distinct extended harmony. Suspended seventh chords replace the third with the fourth, creating E7 sus4, F#7 sus4, G lydian major 7, A7 sus4, B7 sus4, C#7 sus4 flat 5, and D major 7 sus4. These extended voicings provide richer harmonic possibilities for composition and improvisation. The combination of triads and seventh chords allows musicians to create complex, layered harmonies characteristic of modal jazz and contemporary music.

This section covers extended chord voicings including dominant thirteenth chords (G13), dominant seventh with flat nine (G7b9), and minor seventh with ninth (Bm7b5). The instructor demonstrates how to voice these complex chords by keeping the root and fifth in the left hand while adding extensions (ninth, eleventh, thirteenth) in the right hand. The section also covers chord inversion techniques and demonstrates how to create sophisticated jazz voicings that add color and tension to the harmony. The instructor shows how to maintain comfortable hand positions while playing these complex chords.

This section covers the third most common chord type in jazz: dominant seventh chords, which have a distinctive bluesy sound. The first step involves starting with a major triad and adding the flat seven note (a whole step below the root). The second step adds the ninth (a whole step above the root). The third step adds the thirteenth note, which is the sixth note of the major scale. The fourth step involves removing the fifth (which is not essential for chord sound) and moving the thirteenth down one octave. The fifth step creates a rootless voicing by removing the root and playing the remaining notes with the left hand. The section also covers A voicings (third on bottom) and B voicings (seventh on bottom) for dominant chords. The instructor demonstrates how professional jazz musicians use these techniques to create sophisticated, professional-sounding chords that sound much cooler than basic dominant seventh chords.

The five chord (dominant) carries inherent tension and is essential to music's tension-resolution dynamic. In C major, G major serves as the dominant that pulls back to the tonic. Musicians enhance this tension by playing dominant seventh chords. The tonic and dominant relationship forms the foundation of tonal music. Shell chords are stripped-down versions that retain essential harmonic function. The 13th chord is the most common extension of the dominant seventh. To create a 2-5-1 progression, position the two chord root two frets up from the one chord. Moving the second string down one fret creates an augmented seventh chord for increased tension. Moving it up one fret creates a suspended ninth chord. Moving the third string down one fret creates a flat thirteenth chord with upper triad structure. Jazz guitarists economize voicings by playing only three strings over the baseline. The augmented eleventh chord tends to modulate to another 2-5 sequence. In some keys, playing the five chord on the fifth string root provides more convenient chord shapes and unique voicings.

Effective chord progressions in minor keys use scale degrees: home chord (A minor) is degree 6, D minor is 2, E minor is 3, F major is 4, G major is 5. A common progression is 4-5-6-3 (F-G-A-E). To improve voicings, spread notes across the keyboard and move the third up an octave for sweeter sounds. Suspended chords (sus2, sus4) add tension by replacing the third with second or fourth. Seventh chords add richness by including the note above the fifth. Keeping certain notes consistent across chord changes creates smooth, natural progressions. Extended voicings span the keyboard by stacking notes including root, minor third, sus4, seventh, sus2, and additional notes.

Suspended chords replace the third with neighbors (4th or 2nd), creating tension that resolves back to the consonant triad. The augmented sus2 combines an augmented triad with a sus2 chord, hiding the 3rd degree. This creates a chord that wants to move but has no stable place to resolve, directing toward a dissonant void. The same notes can represent multiple chords depending on behavior—for example, E augmented sus2 can be reinterpreted as F# half-diminished 7th. This ambiguity profoundly impacts musical analysis, as the same chord may be labeled differently based on its harmonic function and resolution behavior.

Suspended chords (sus chords) create ambiguity by replacing the third degree of a chord with a note a whole tone above it. For example, a D minor 11th chord (D, F, A, C, E, G) becomes a suspended version when the F (minor third) is moved up to G. This removes the clear distinction between major and minor qualities since the third is absent. The suspended chord has a distinct character that increases tension in the progression and between the progression and the melody.

This section explores advanced harmonic techniques including pedal point and suspended chords. In the pre-chorus, the guitar and bass remain stationary on Si bemol (Bb) while the harmony changes around them, creating tension and interest. The instructor demonstrates a suspended fourth chord (Fa with suspended fourth) that resolves to Sol bemol (Gb) and returns to the original chord. The harmony progression moves through Si bemol, Mi bemol, and Fa, with the guitar and bass anchoring the harmony while other instruments create movement. This demonstrates how stationary bass lines combined with changing harmonies create sophisticated musical tension.

Pedal notes (bourdon notes) are common notes between consecutive chords that can be held across changes to create richer sounds. Suspended chords (Sus4 and Sus2) replace the third with a fourth or second, creating tension that resolves when the third is reintroduced. These techniques add sophistication and dramatic effect to the progression.

Suspended chords originated during the Renaissance era when composers grew tired of simple chord progressions. Instead of directly moving from one chord to another (like D to C), they created intermediate chords by first moving the top and bottom notes while keeping the middle note stationary. This transitional chord became known as a suspended chord. There are two main types: suspended fourth (sus4) and suspended second (sus2). The sus4 chord is far more common and is typically what musicians mean when they simply say 'suspended chord.' The sus2 chord is less common and must be specified explicitly.

This section demonstrates practical composition using suspended chords. The instructor shows how to write short musical passages avoiding the third while creating distinct emotional effects. A sus4-based progression creates an optimistic, energetic feel with anticipation and restlessness. A sus2-based progression produces a more pensive, elastic quality, especially when played slowly. The key principle is avoiding the third at all costs to maintain the suspended quality. The instructor demonstrates layering sounds and using different playing techniques like tremolo to enhance the emotional effect. This shows how suspended chords enable nuanced emotional expression beyond traditional major/minor harmony.

Suspended chords (sus2 and sus4) are created by replacing the third interval of a major or minor chord with a second or fourth interval respectively, and they can be used to enhance music by suspending resolutions, adding unique color to chord progressions, creating dramatic tension through extended suspensions, and serving as pivot points for modulating between parallel keys.

Suspended chords are major or minor chords with their third replaced by either the second (sus2) or fourth (sus4). For example, in C major, replacing E with D creates C sus2, while replacing it with F creates C sus4. These chords are neither major nor minor because they lack the third, giving them an open, ambiguous sound. They create tension that the ear expects to resolve, though resolution is not mandatory. Three practical applications include: (1) varying the tonic chord by alternating between major and sus4 versions, (2) prolonging V-I cadences by preceding the fifth degree with its sus4 version, and (3) substituting for major or minor chords in progressions to add suspense elements. This technique is widely used in popular music by artists like The Who, Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Indochine, and Johnny Hallyday.

The song features multiple suspended chord progressions: A major to A sus2 to A sus4, B minor bar chord with finger lift variation, E major to E sus4, and D major to D sus2 to D sus4. Each progression follows a pattern of regular chord to suspended chord (sus2 or sus4) and back. The B minor section demonstrates bar chord technique with the second finger barring across the first through fifth strings at the third fret, with pinky at the fourth fret on the third string and third finger at the fourth fret on the fourth string. The variation involves lifting the second finger to create open first and second strings while maintaining the bar on the fifth string.

The instructor demonstrates emotional chord progressions and suspended sounds for the song. The D minor sus chord is played by moving the first finger to the second fret on the second string, creating a suspended sound effective for transitioning to the chorus. The G minor seven chord is played by keeping the first finger on the second fret of the second string, with the pinky on the fourth fret of the fifth string. The instructor demonstrates that this chord is essential for the song's emotional impact. The F major to G minor seven transition involves removing the first finger from the second fret of the second string, then using the pinky on the fourth fret of the fifth string. The instructor demonstrates that this transition creates a beautiful, romantic sound. The F major chord is played by using the pinky on the fourth fret of the fifth string, with the ring finger on the fourth fret of the fourth string. The instructor emphasizes that this technique is not natural to the fingers but is essential for the song's sound.