[CHORDS] How can i tell the difference between a SUS, DIM, etc

Scott Ians Beard

Scott Ians Beard

New member
So im teaching myself how to figure out chords [i have a terrible ear for chords!]. My old guitar teacher could just "see" what chords were, whereas i have to take a minute, play the scale and work out which "numbers" they are. Im hoping to get as profficient as my old teacher eventually!

Anyway, what are the actually differences between suspended, diminished etc? How can i spot them?

Im sorry if this seems really dumb, but im clueless when it comes to scale/chord theory..

Steve
 
Suspended chords have either the 2nd or 4th interval replace the Major or minor third so it doesn't have any minor or major properties making it sound unresolved.

So it would be Root, 2nd, Perfect 5 or Root, 4th, Perfect 5
 
Scott Ians Beard":6398b said:
Anyway, what are the actually differences between suspended, diminished etc? How can i spot them?

Steve
Click to expand...

this is kind of a tough question because theres many many many ways to play the same chord. different voicings, fingerings, inversions, etc. so its hard to say so and so chord looks like THIS! coachZ chimed in about the sus chords, ill pick it up with the diminished. A diminished7 chord's formula would consist of

Root b3rd b5 bb7


yes thats right, DOUBLE FLAT 7! :eek:

whats also whacky is if you jumble around the notes, any one of the degrees of the diminished chord can become the root, just try playing this voicing

X2313X and moving it up the neck in intervals of Minor 3rds(over 3 frets). and you will see and hear for yourself the sound of the Dim7 chord. and with that hopefully be able to spot them in the future.
 
So what actually makes it a diminished? The fact that all the non-root notes are flattened? The double flattened 7th?

And what about "ADD" chords, like Dadd2 - is this just a D major triad, with a 2nd in it too? Root, 2, 3, 5?

Oh and there also dominant? I think ive just opened a giant can of worms!!
 
Scott Ians Beard":53974 said:
So what actually makes it a diminished? The fact that all the non-root notes are flattened? The double flattened 7th?

And what about "ADD" chords, like Dadd2 - is this just a D major triad, with a 2nd in it too? Root, 2, 3, 5?

Oh and there also dominant? I think ive just opened a giant can of worms!!
Click to expand...
What makes it diminshed is that unlike major or minor chords that have a minor and then major, and a major and then minor thrid respectively-it has only minor thirds, just like a augmented chord has major 3rds.

Dominant7...
root-maj3-min 3rd- min 3rd
Major7...
root-maj3-min 3rd-maj.7

add2 have the 2(9) added, sus2 have the 2 instead of the 3, same with sus4...4th instead of the 3rd. add11 have the 4th added.
 
degenaro":f77a3 said:
What makes it diminshed is that unlike major or minor chords that have a minor and then major, and a major and then minor thrid respectively-it has only minor thirds, just like a augmented chord has major 3rds.

Dominant7...
root-maj3-min 3rd- min 3rd
Major7...
root-maj3-min 3rd-maj.7

add2 have the 2(9) added, sus2 have the 2 instead of the 3, same with sus4...4th instead of the 3rd. add11 have the 4th added.
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If you don't undestand what Degenaro's saying, the major third then minor third is the distance between the intervals, so if you're looking at them using 12345678 intervals: it's Dom7 = R, maj3, Perfect 5, b7 (flat 7)
Maj7 - R, maj3, P5 and a Maj7
 
Scott Ians Beard":752c5 said:
Right, got it now guys.

Thanks very much! Now its time to learn what they all sound like....
Click to expand...
I much prefer learning the sound and then the fingering for chords. But there is no right or wrong way to learn.
 
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