I'm working my way through Guitar Fundamentals 2 and Lisa McCormick has a song "Follow the Arrows'. In the notes she writes 'The chord in the song 'Asus2' is also frequently called 'Aadd9', in other musical contexts'
Can you explain the theory behind that statement, and what is meant by other musical contexts?
chris
Played in the open position exactly the same chord , the second being B , is an octave higher than the lowest root note also making it a nine . If you don't play the root note on the 5th string it makes it an inverted A sus2 , because the lowest note is the fifth (E) , further down the fret board it is a different story
bookas58 provided part of the answer: the 9th scale degree is the 2nd an octave higher. Thanks!
But there's also a slight difference between a sus (suspended) chord & add chord.
A "sus" chord replaces ("suspends") the 3rd with a 2nd, while an "add" chord adds the 2nd (or 9th) in addition to the 3rd. See theory below!
Originally Posted by: cj.stevensCan you explain the theory behind that statement, and what is meant by other musical contexts?
Chords are named by the scale degrees they consists of. Major chords consist of the major scale degress 1st, major 3rd, 5th. So those three notes are assumed in all major chords.
An A major is the 1st (A), major 3rd (C#), 5th (E) from the A mjor scale played together in some configuration.
If a chord uses a scale other than 1, 3 or 5, then it's identified by using that number in it's name.
So, if a chord is an A sus 2, then we know it consists of the 1st, 2nd instead of the 3rd, and 5th.
1st (A), 2nd (B), 5th (E)
Since you can play the A major scale in many different place & in multiple octaves we use numbers up to 13 in order to lable scale degrees for certain chords.
The A an octave higher is the 8th scale degree, so we keep going on from there.
1st (A), 2nd (B), 3rd (C#), 4th (D), 5th (E), 6th (F#), 7th (G#)
next octave higher
8th (A), 9th (B), 10th (C#), 11th (D), 12th (E), 13th (F#), 14th (G#)
You will see these intervals used in some discussion of theory. For example a major 3d an octave higher is a 10th. You will also see the 8th being used when indicating an octave higher in music notation: 8va.
However, tradionally we only use the 9th, 11th & 13th when labelling chords.
So, an Asus2 is 1st (A), 2nd (B), 5th (E).
An Aadd9 chord is 1st (A), 3rd (C#), 5th (E), 9th (B)
It's very difficult to play the B as a 2nd on the guitar, so it's usually played an octave higher.
Hope that helps!
Yes,thanks
Although I did have to read your answer a few times!
While we're on the subject can you point me to some basic music theory on the GT site - or could you recommend a beginning music theory book. I'm getting into the 'Circle of Fifths' which looks like a good place to start
chris
You're welcome!
Originally Posted by: cj.stevensWhile we're on the subject can you point me to some basic music theory on the GT site - or could you recommend a beginning music theory book.
Absolutely! In general the GT courses will show you the theory you need to know as you progress through the course. I also encourage you to start with these tutorials on intervals & basic scales at you convenience. But don't neglect the course!
Intervals
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=362
C major scale
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=363
A minor scale
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=445
C minor scale
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=446
Then a little chord theory & how scales & chords are related.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=426
Putting it in practice with major.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=427
And minor.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=428
Then you'll be ready for this basic intro to music theory.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=495
And the circle of fifths.
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=835
Just about any book on music theory for beginners is fine. There are hundreds of them on Amazon or in any large book store. But the most important part is to connect it to application: to put the ideas into practice.
So, I recommend the above tutorials & this nifty website that concretizes the concepts.
https://www.musictheory.net/lessons
How far you go depends on your interests & goals. And it's important to remember that your theory knowledge learning should roughly match your technical skill learning. Theory that you can't put into practice is useless & confusing. Skills that you don't understand the idea behind are often frustrating deadends. So the optimal approach is to keep them growing together, supporting each other.
Hope that helps. Please ask more if necessary & best of success!
One problem that guitarists (and it seems to be unique to guitarists) face is that they tend to want to name every shape they play without considering the actual musical theory surrounding the full score or arrangement.
First, a suspension is often NOT a chord, it is a harmonic event over time. In contrapuntal music, a suspension imeans creating a tension between two harmonic structures by holding over one note while the underlying harmony shifts. The suspended note then resolves downward into the new harmonic structure.
If that is not happening in the composition, then you aren't playing a suspension in this somewhat normative sense. The shape you are playing is not a chord in and of itself.
More modern music borrowed the term "suspension' (though oddly, not retardation for some reason) to mean chords where the 3rd is omitted but there is no resolution downward to the following harmonic structure. But even in these cases, the third is often implied by other instruments or vocals, in which case it is still not a suspended chord even in the modern sense as the harmonic structure always includes the full score and not merely on one instrument.
So, n many situations where a guitarist is playing the 1, 2 and 5 tones of the underlying scale, the base, piano, horns or even the vocalist is hitting the 3. The harmonic structure contains the 1, 2, 3 and 5.
If the 2 is in the same octave as the tonic, this is an add2 chord for the harmony. If the 2 is in a different octave (usually the octave above the tonic, though not in some inverted chord forms) it is referred to as an add9.
Originally Posted by: cj.stevensI'm working my way through Guitar Fundamentals 2 and Lisa McCormick has a song "Follow the Arrows'. In the notes she writes 'The chord in the song 'Asus2' is also frequently called 'Aadd9', in other musical contexts'
Can you explain the theory behind that statement, and what is meant by other musical contexts?
chris
unfortunately there's some blurring, coming from being able to play Asus2 instead of Aadd9 or vice versa, in that particular song.
the song may be in A Major or D Major or E major. These keys will support Aadd9, instead of or, as well as Asus2.
You can see how Asus2 could be used instead of Aadd9 in certain musical contexts. But not all.
Asus2 is spelt 1 2 5 whereas Aadd9 is spelt 1 3 5 9
the key possiblities for these chords (Major Scales only) follow
Aadd9 could be chord 1 in A Major, chord 4 in E Major,chord 5 in D Major,
Asus2 appears as chord 1 in A, chord 2 in G ,chord 4 in E ,chord 5 in D and chord 6 in C .
Asus2 in G and C would need to be played as Am add9, to remain diatonically correct.
please see this pdf. its free to download and share, no sign up or anything.
it shows the possibilities of every chord in every Major key.
https://kingofchordsblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/chord-possibilities-in-major-keys.pdf
Originally Posted by: john15rhodes
Asus2 is spelt 1 2 5 whereas Aadd9 is spelt 1 3 5 9
Both 2 and 9 are same pitches, only difference is that 9 is an octave higher than 2.
For A chord 2 and 9 is B.
Asus2 has major(or minor) third replaced by second. Aadd9 is a triad chord with added 9th.
A major, 1 3 5, A C# E
Asus2, 1 2 5, A B E
Aadd9, 1 3 5 9, A C# E B
The difference between sus2 and add9 chords is whether the third is present or not.
