Klarinet Archive - Posting 000371.txt from 1998/06

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Jazz question
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 03:16:52 -0400

On Tue, 9 Jun 1998 Maestro645@-----.com wrote:

> What typ up notes make up a sus chord? Use the C Major Chord as the
> basis for explaining the answer please.

As someone else has pointed out in response to your question, there are
many different types of suspensions which might occur. However, if the
notation is C sus, in jazz that almost always indicates the sonority which
occurs just before the resolution of a 4-3 suspension. (C, F, G, usually
Bb or B) In traditional harmony that would be followed by C, E, G, and
often a seventh of one type or another. In other words, the F would
resolve to E.

This is one of the instances where the descriptive chord notation used in
jazz is less effective than the functional notation of traditional
harmony. In fact, C sus does not actually imply a chord at all, but
rather a sonority which occurs at a certain point in a harmonic
progression. However, it has come to be used to describe these notes as
if they did constitute an actual chord type.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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