Originally Posted by: Whuneit makes sense; and it doesn't.
I mean isn't it all relative to the root of the chord?[/quote]
Yes. The naming of a chord is related to the root & the distance of the other chord tones from that root.
My point was that a chord can be played in many different ways, inversions, options. One chord name or symbol can be applied in a wide number of ways.Originally Posted by: Whune
To me.. If I say sus2; then the voicing has to conform to that formula of scale degrees - relative to the root - and if it doesn't then it isn't that formula.
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Yes, and you could get very precise & say that the notes A-C#-G are not just an A7, but instead an A7 (no 5th). But most musicians just say A7 because those notes sound like an A7. They sound more like an A7 than any other name you could give it. And more to the point, the defining sound of a dominant 7th chord is the major 3rd & minor 7th.
To be sure, adding or avoiding the 5th does change the sound or flavor of the chord a little bit. But, it doesn't change the fundamental essence of the chord which is a dominant 7th chord. If we changed the C# to C, then we have a fundamental change! To a minor 7th sound. If we change the G to G#, again we have a fundamental change. To a major 7th.
[QUOTE=Whune]
I mean again: i get a very different effect when I play the same chord in a different octave.
Yes, you will get a different effect or timbre. But an Asus2 chord played in a low register is called an Asus2. And an Asus2 chord played in a high register is called an Asus2.
And if I play a low open A string with a B & E way up high on the fretboard, I'll get a different, interesting sound that is also called an Asus2 chord. :)
Because the B is one, two or three octaves higher, we could more precisely call it an Asus9. But maybe we should call it an Asus16? Or an Asus23? And what about the E? It's not really a 5th higher than the root anymore. How about Asus16 (w/19th)?
At some point this gets absurd. :)
And this is precisely what music notation is for: not just to name the chord, but to precisely indicate which notes in which octaves or locations to use.
[QUOTE=Whune]
Same as if that D is lower in pitch to my C then it's some kind of D/C chord.
That is a great point! But even there it's a matter of context. If it makes sense in the context of the music being played, then yes, it should be C5/D. But even in cases of inversions it is still acceptable to call it a Csus2. The music notation would help indicate the placement of the notes.
For what it's worth, there is already an established symbol notation that was used in Baroque & Classical times & music but not widely used today. It's called figured bass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figured_bass
Hope that helps!
