Lesson Goal: To quickly internalize the commonly used Sus Chords and their resolutions in all spellings… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…
Table of Contents
What Does “sus” Mean?
The symbol “sus” is shorthand for “suspended”. The two most commonly used suspended chords are the “sus4” and “sus2”.
Note: Although sometimes used as a harmonic entity in themselves, suspensions are best understood by including their resolutions, as follows.
The sus4 chord
The symbol “sus4” tells you to play “the 4” instead of the expected “3” for a major triad or “b3” for a minor triad. The sus4 chord is inherently unstable and craves resolution to either a major triad or minor triad as explained below.
The chord structure for a sus4 chord is 1-4-5.
The sus2 chord
The symbol “sus2” tells you to play “the 2” instead of the expected “3” for a major triad or “b3” for a minor triad. The sus2 chord is inherently unstable and craves resolution to either a major triad or minor triad as explained below.
The chord structure for a sus2 chord is 1-2-5.
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The Sus4 Chord Resolved to Major Triad
Csus4 Resolved to C
A commonly used musical pattern is to play a sus4 chord before resolving it to it’s parent major triad. This chord progression emphasizes the harmonically active 4 by “suspending” it (temporarily delaying) its resolution to the harmonically stable 3…
Csus4 (read “C suspended 4th chord”) with its major triad resolution…
Notice how unstable and antsy the sus4 chord sounds and feels, like it needs to go somewhere, and how that instability is relieved upon the arrival of the major triad.
Example: “Pinball Wizard” (The Who)
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Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys (Score)
Sus4 chords and the 4 to 3 harmonic resolution in the big 12 major spellings… and arranged chromatically ascending…
Sample at 120 beats per minute…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys (MP3s)
The benefits of playing along with a click track at various tempos cannot be overstated: very slowly at first to have enough time to “think about everything”, then fast enough to be forced to “play without thinking”.
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 60 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 80 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 100 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 120 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 140 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 160 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 180 bpm…
For a donation to the website (Donations Page) Frank would be happy to send you his personal collection of zip files that include high-res PDFs of the scores and MP3 play along practice tracks for the entire Piano-ology study aids library. This includes all practice tracks for scales, chords, and chord progressions produced to date.
back to… Table of Contents
Sus4 Chord Resolved to Minor Triad
Csus4 Resolved to Cm
A commonly used musical pattern is to play a sus4 chord before resolving it to it’s parent minor triad. This chord progression emphasizes the harmonically active 4, “suspending” it before resolving to the harmonically stable b3…
Csus4 (read “C suspended 4th chord”) with its minor triad resolution…
Notice how unstable and antsy the sus4 chord sounds and feels, like it needs to go somewhere, and how that instability is relieved upon the arrival of the minor triad.
Example: “Cold as Ice” (Foreigner)
back to… Table of Contents
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys (Score)
Sus4 chords and the 4 to b3 harmonic resolution in the big 12 minor spellings… arranged chromatically ascending through all spellings…
Listen to a sample at 120 beats per minute…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys (MP3s)
The benefits of playing along with a click track at various tempos cannot be overstated: very slowly at first to have enough time to “think about everything”, then fast enough to be forced to “play without thinking”.
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 60 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 80 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 100 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 120 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 140 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 160 bpm…
Sus4 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 180 bpm…
For a donation to the website (Donations Page) Frank would be happy to send you his personal collection of zip files that include high-res PDFs of the scores and MP3 play along practice tracks for the entire Piano-ology study aids library. This includes all practice tracks for scales, chords, and chord progressions produced to date.
back to… Table of Contents
Sus2 Chord Resolved to Major Triad
Csus2 Resolved to C
A commonly used musical pattern is to play a sus2 chord before resolving it to it’s parent major triad. This chord progression emphasizes the harmonically active 2, “suspending” it before resolving to the harmonically stable 3…
Csus2 (read “C suspended 2nd chord”) with its major triad resolution…
Notice how unstable and antsy the sus2 chord sounds and feels, like it needs to go somewhere, and how that instability is relieved upon the arrival of the major triad.
back to… Table of Contents
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys (Score)
Sus2 chords and the 2 to 3 harmonic resolution in the big 12 major spellings… arranged chromatically ascending…
Listen to a sample at 120 beats per minute…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys (MP3s)
The benefits of playing along with a click track at various tempos cannot be overstated: very slowly at first to have enough time to “think about everything”, then fast enough to be forced to “play without thinking”.
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 60 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 80 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 100 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 120 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Practice, All Keys @ 140 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 160 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Major Triad, All Keys @ 180 bpm…
For a donation to the website (Donations Page) Frank would be happy to send you his personal collection of zip files that include high-res PDFs of the scores and MP3 play along practice tracks for the entire Piano-ology study aids library. This includes all practice tracks for scales, chords, and chord progressions produced to date.
back to… Table of Contents
Sus2 Chord Resolved to Minor Triad
A commonly used musical pattern is to play a sus2 chord before resolving it to it’s parent minor triad. This chord progression emphasizes the harmonically active 2, “suspending” it before resolving to the harmonically stable b3…
C Sus2 Resolved to Cm
Csus2 (read “C suspended 2nd chord”) with its minor triad resolution…
Notice how unstable and antsy the sus2 chord sounds and feels, like it needs to go somewhere, and how that instability is relieved upon the arrival of the minor triad.
back to… Table of Contents
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys (Score)
Sus2 chords and the 2 to b3 harmonic resolution in the big 12 minor spellings… arranged chromatically ascending…
Listen to a sample at 120 beats per minute…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys (MP3s)
The benefits of playing along with a click track at various tempos cannot be overstated: very slowly at first to have enough time to “think about everything”, then fast enough to be forced to “play without thinking”.
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 60 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 80 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 100 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 120 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 140 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 160 bpm…
Sus2 Resolved to Minor Triad, All Keys @ 180 bpm…
For a donation to the website (Donations Page) Frank would be happy to send you his personal collection of zip files that include high-res PDFs of the scores and MP3 play along practice tracks for the entire Piano-ology study aids library. This includes all practice tracks for scales, chords, and chord progressions produced to date.
back to… Table of Contents
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