Power Chord Sensibility

It's a Dsus4 chord. It's called this because of the intervallic distance between d and g which is a 4th, instead of g to d, which is a power-chord or G5. Even though it's the same notes the backwards relationship makes it sound like a suspension. Power-chords don't have inversions because it's function will change. The next logical move is to move the G up a whole step or down a half step.

Hey, Leedogg, how did you do that weird white background thing?

Oh, and NTM, do you mean to say that "5" chords don't have inversions? I don't think that the terms "power chord" and "X5 chord" are interchangeable, i.e. a D power chord and a D5 are not necessarily the same, e.g. xx023x is a D5 but not a D power chord, whereas x57xxx is both a D power chord and a D5 chord.

That being said, I see how power chords don't have inversions, since, by definition they have root note in the first position. Also, I'm pretty sure power chords are particular to guitars.

However, why couldn't a "5" chord have an inversion? e.g. couldn't a D5 chord be played x0023x, and the key would define whether it's a D or an A chord?

[Edited by iamthe_eggman on 07-17-2003 at 09:26 AM]

eggman- it's an image file. anytime you want to know just quote them and you can see. :)

Hey, i edited my post and have more questions.

noticing, thanks for the reply dude. Johnny-on-the-spot as usual :). When you say the next logical step would be to move the G up a whole step, or down a half step, what are you basing that on? What if you kept the D, and moved the G up a half step to a G#? (Dsus5? or nonexistant cause it sounds bad?) What causes that clash? I'll learn music theory if I have to yank it out of you one post a time :p.

eggman, it's a pain the ass to do tabs with this forum, so I just typed it up in the regular box, took a screenshot, cropped it, and uploaded it to some webspace, then did the img command on it. I don't like the way the "code" command works so I think this is easier.

Originally posted by iamthe_eggman
e.g. xx023x is a D5 but not a D power chord, whereas x57xxx is both a D power chord and a D5 chord.

xx023x = xxDADx

I think by definition that is a power chord because of the root-fifth relationship between D and A.

For instance, x577xx has the same exact notes (same octave too) as xx023x, so wouldn't that mean that xx023x has to be a power chord too? Or are you going off the fact that xx023x doesn't have it's root on either the (low)E or A strings?

Yeah eggman your right. I shouldn't have written the power-chord and E5 as being the same. Although I have those terms different from you, a power-chord is x577xx and a D5 is x57xxx. You could write both as having an inversion, it‘s not a law not to. But when I think of a power-chord it's just a term of playing a chord like this x577xx. Just the most basic and common chord on the guitar. D5 is different and can be written as an inversion, basically you play a standard D5 chord x57xxx but you put the 5th in the bass instead of root so it looks like this 557xxx. Why I said the chord leedogg was asking about a sus4 is just because it had the characteristics of a "D5" chord (in my book), but the interval was a 4th. And 4th's are natural suspensions when played harmonically. Play the inversion with a power chord and you get this 5577xx, which to me is a D5/A (both root and 5 are doubled as octaves) or Asus4. No longer a power-chord. Taken how you see it, switch the terms and you should see what I am saying.

noticing, thanks for the reply dude. Johnny-on-the-spot as usual . When you say the next logical step would be to move the G up a whole step, or down a half step, what are you basing that on?

I’m basing that on the most common suspension and the fact it’s a major suspension. A suspension is just a chord suspended before it reaches a stable chord. Moving G down a half-step will move the Gsus4 to Gmaj. Moving the G up a whole step will move the Gsus4 to G5. Move the G down a whole step if your wanted to go to a G minor chord. These are the most common.

What if you kept the D, and moved the G up a half step to a G#?

This would just be a less common suspension although it is used. Moving the G up a half step to G# will move the Gmsus4 to Gdim (or half-diminished). In this case the G suspension chord will most likely need to be a minor suspension 4th chord. Gmsus4 = 1, b3, 4, (5)<~optional.

(Dsus5? or nonexistant cause it sounds bad?)

No such chord. Anytime a 5th is introduce to a chord that chord becomes stable. The other suspension chord is the “sus2”. Not to be confused with a 9th chord. You don’t know you have a suspension until the next chord/note. This all depends on where this (suspended) note is going. If it’s a suspension, the root note will stay and the suspended interval (in this case sus2) will either move up or down to a stable note with in the chord like the root or the 3rd.

What causes that clash?

I’m not sure what clash you are referring to.

[Edited by noticingthemistake on 07-17-2003 at 01:41 PM]

When writting it is hard to see a chord as a suspension until the next chord. Simply because a suspension a note in a chord that is temporarily replacing a chordal tone and the resolves by steps back to that tone. The difference between a chord like D5/A and Asus4 is the D5/A is free to move just about anywhere. An Asus4 will next change to a Amaj chord, or A5(less common). Hopefully this makes sense.

i would just simply say that ist the first inversion of a power"chord" - stricktly speaking neither of both is a chord because the definition of a chord is a structure of 3 notes stacked on top of eachother. however.. a powerchord is neither diminished, nore augmented, nore major or minor - its only a root and a fifth. to make it minor or major for example, you have to add the relative third - but thats basic theory and should be clear.

one word...
"double stop"

What's a "double-stop"??

Good explanation Az. I just don't think of power-chords or intervals as being capable of being inversions. Personal preference. Just because if you invert a interval it becomes a different interval. Like E5 or an E power-chord becomes Bsus4. A sus4 is often thought of as a chord, but the 5th is optional and the 3rd isn't usually played harmonically with the chord, instead it's played like a neighboring tone. So the harmonic chord you end up with is a perfect 4th interval. Just in case someone was wondering about that.

I hate being musically stupid. I can't understand what you guys are talking about...hehe.