what does sus stand for?

[Zappa]

been practicing my chords and some of the ones i've been practicing say Bsus2 and stuff like that. i just want to know what it stands for.

also if the chord book says Bbm7
thats b flat minor 7 right
if it was BbM7 it would be b flat major 7?

[Tingly]

I THINK it means "suspended."

Now, how that term started, I dunno. 'Might be that the usual note in the chord is "suspended" and another is subsitiuted?

I know, I know: "If Zappa doesn't know exactly what the story is, he is upset and frustrated."

LOL j/k.

How'd your lesson go? Did you learn everything you wanted?

You must bombard the poor guy with questions! :)

[bugman]

Tingly's right in suspended.
And you're right on the money with the B flat minor 7 stuff

As for suspended chords.
A normal major chord is made of the notes 1 3 and 5 from its respective major scale. So the notes of C major are C E and G.
In a suspended chord, the third (3) is dropped and replaced with either the second or fourth note of the scale.

So Csus2 is C D G
Csus4 is C F G

let us know if it doesn't make sense.

[Zappa]

I THINK it means "suspended."

Now, how that term started, I dunno. 'Might be that the usual note in the chord is "suspended" and another is subsitiuted?

I know, I know: "If Zappa doesn't know exactly what the story is, he is upset and frustrated."

LOL j/k.

How'd your lesson go? Did you learn everything you wanted?

You must bombard the poor guy with questions! :)


i had a great lesson yesterday. i got most of my questions answered. my problem is i'll be home thinking i'm not doing it correctly or something and then i get to the lesson, ask my teacher and he says i'm right on.

his exact words yesterday were
"you're freaking me out man. you come in every monday and i ask you how you've done last week and you always say crappy. everytime i ask you to show me you do it and you're fine. mellow out"

haha

i can't help it. a lot of this stuff i know but i don't know i know it. know what i mean :cool:

[reeced]

AFAIK if it just says "sus" then it's a suspended 4th, however it's often written as sus4.

[gruzzy]

The reason it's called a suspension is because in classical music, when a note from one chord is held into the next chord, that note is "suspended" while the others have moved one.

Something like this, for example:

Moving from this chord


||---|---|-*-|---|
||---|---|-*-|---|
o||---|---|---|---|
o||---|---|---|---|
||---|-*-|---|---|
||---|---|-*-|---|


To this


||---|---|-*-|---|
||---|---|-*-|---|
||---|-*-|---|---|
o||---|---|---|---|
x||---|---|---|---|
x||---|---|---|---|


The G on the high E string is suspended into the next chord which creates tension that is resolved by playing this next:


||---|-*-|---|---|
||---|---|-*-|---|
||---|-*-|---|---|
o||---|---|---|---|
x||---|---|---|---|
x||---|---|---|---|

[JonR]

if the chord book says Bbm7
thats b flat minor 7 right
if it was BbM7 it would be b flat major 7?Correct.
In fact the "m" refers to the triad (in particular the third of the chord), while the "M" refers to the 7th (meaning a major 7th interval, on a major or minor chord).

Here's all the possibilities:

Bb = Bb major chord: Bb-D -F (major 3rd)
Bbm = Bb minor chord: Bb-Db-F (minor 3rd)
Bb7 = Bb dominant 7th: Bb-D -F-Ab (M3, minor 7th)
Bbm7 = Bb minor 7th: Bb-Db-F-Ab (minor 3rd, minor 7th)
Bbmaj7 (BbM7) = Bb major 7th: Bb-D -F-A (M3, major 7th)
Bbm(maj7) (BbmM7) = Bb minor, major 7th: Bb-Db-F-A (minor 3rd, major 7th)

(all chords have a perfect 5th)IOW, the standard 3rd is assumed to be major, and the standard 7th (plain "7") minor.
"m" means lower the 3rd, "M" (or "maj") means raise the 7th.