Sus Triad Symposium Part II:
Altered Reality
by Chris Buono
There's a clear difference between a guitarist whose noble efforts have earned them the title of musician and a guitarist whose undeniable creative prowess qualifies him or her as artist. Guitarists who have graduated to the status of musician or even professional have perhaps dutifully studied their craft, put in more than ample practice time, and as a result- risen above the ranks with abilities that allow them to really say something on the instrument.
This type of musician can most definitely 'hang' with the best of them, groove hard, and play all the requisite super-hero licks. But a guitar player whose output is considered art doesn't just merely play; they define their life's existence by using the guitar as a means of ultimate expression. They accept a commitment that arises from the insatiable thirst for knowledge that drives them to uncover new ways to describe their moods, their feelings, and their vision through music and the guitar.
The artist never considers the why to one particular concept or approach, just the who, what, and where. Upon hearing a new sound or a new mode of expression the artist can't help but wonder, "Who can show me what that was and where can I get me some?!"
Welcome to the second installment of the "Sus Triad Symposium" where you can find what the next step is in your sus chord expedition from yours truly, that's who! In this lesson we will be looking into the more artistic side of sus chord offerings as we explore altered sus chords. These uncommon chord sounds are by no means for the light-hearted as they possess an acrid quality that can be challenging or even objectionable to the uninitiated ear. But behold, once given a chance these chords will show their true colors as invigorating harmonic devices that garner fantastic results.
If you're a returning reader then the information here should seem as a logical next step as the text is presented with the assumption you're now a diatonic sus chord expert. If you're just tuning in this month I suggest going to the Back Issues drop down menu in the top right hand corner of this page and clicking on October 2006 to go to the "Rock/Blues" Lesson section for "Part I: Nuts and Bolts". This lesson will give you the basic sus chord jargon required to understand the impending onslaught of information; it will also acquaint you with a plethora of un-altered sus chords giving you a solid point of reference for these altered sus chords. Trust me, you'll need it.
A friendly warning to everyone reading this-these chords engender some Olympic-level stretches that will surely put some stress on your hands if not carefully approached in a slow and relaxed manner. Please read my suggestions for finger placement and if at anytime you feel even the slightest discomfort-stop playing. One root position Dsus#4 spread voicing on the bottom string set is not worth injuring yourself by any means.
So, what's an altered sus chord?
In musical theory terms, it could be said that the term altered refers to any note in a chord formula that has been changed (sharped or flatted) from its diatonic (all in one key) state. Since we tend to equate all of our interval identifications from the major scale-a process known as parallel major comparison-anything outside of those parameters could fall under this moniker. For example, a C major scale is spelled C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C by way of a step formula of whole and half-step intervals as follows: W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Those seven notes plus the octave now define the key signature (number of applicable accidentals), which in this case has no sharps or flats.
If the 2nd degree of the C scale were included in a chord formula whose root was C and it were to be flatted, making it a Db, it would be known as an altered 2nd. The same could be said if the chord formula contained an F#-an altered 4th, or a Gb-an altered 5th.
It's also important to note that there are commonly accepted exceptions to this concept. For instance, a root is almost never a chord tone that is referred to as being altered, or sharped, or flatted, or even considered for change as it is the central and most important pitch of a harmonic device even when it's not voiced in the actual chord!
Though commonly flatted to make various forms of minor and dominant chord formulae, the 3rd and 7th of any chord are not referred to as being altered either. Finally, the 6th degree also escapes this classification unless it has been raised an octave to a 13th, in which case it could be flatted making it an altered 13th.
That leaves us with the 2nd, 4th, and 5th degrees that could be altered to make different chordal textures. Like the 13th, the 2nd and 4th degrees can be raised an octave, becoming 9th and 11th degrees respectively- and both are subject to being altered. That said, it's important to point out some applicable enharmonic principles. Some alterations do not exist as they are enharmonically related to another degree designation that is far more pertinent, while some degrees possess the ability to be altered in both directions.
The following alterations are either nonexistent in common music practices or are considered frivolous: #2 (b3), b4/b11 (3), and #13 (b7). The degrees that have relevance in both directions are b5/#5 and b9/#9 but with one caveat-the #9 only exists if a major 3rd is present in the chord. "OK, enough!" you say. "I thought this was sus chord-palooza." It is, but the above explanation is there to help you fully understand the terminology of what lies ahead and to satisfy those who may wonder where the sus#2 or sus#4b5 chord is. All right then, let's dig in!
First up is the piquant sus#4 chord set which is made up of a root, a raised 4th (#4) and a perfect 5th. It can be found serving as tonic chords for the Lydian (1-2-3-#4-5-6-7/fourth mode of Major modes), Lydian Dominant (1-2-3-#4-5-6-b7/fourth mode of Melodic Minor), Dorian #11 (1-2-b3-#4-5-6-b7/fourth mode of Harmonic Minor), Lydian #9 (1-#2-3-#4-5-6-7/sixth mode of Harmonic Minor), and Lydian Diminished or Melodic Minor #11 (1-2-b3-#4-5-6-7/fourth mode of Harmonic Major) scales.
Take note, these scale references will only be made for seven-tone or heptatonic scales found within the four conventional modal systems. With that said, I encourage you look into other scale formulae like Pentatonic and Hexatonic formulae to further include these amazing sounds in your playing. When playing the closed-voiced Csus#4 chord in the 1st bar of the "Vertical Shapes" it's a good idea to use your 2nd finger to fret the 5th fret, 3rd string C and think of it as axis point fingering-wise for the best possible hand positioning.
For the remaining chord tones use your 4th finger to fret the 7th fret, 2nd string F# (#4) and the 1st finger frets the 3rd fret, 1st string G. Use this 2nd finger "anchoring" setup as a model for fingering most chords that span a four-fret distance as it will relieve stress in your hand by allowing you to keep a relaxed and straight wrist. This approach becomes especially useful when playing all the spread-voiced chords in Set A root position, Set B 2nd inversion, and the Dsus#4/G# chord in Set A.
As you play through the sus#4s and the rest of the altered sus chords, notice that the starting points of all the spread voicings are higher than the diatonic spreads from the last lesson. This was purposely done for ease of playing and hand safety. When playing the spread-voiced Dsus#4, see if you can recognize a certain Nine Inch Nails tune.
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