What would you call this chord?

LukeW · #1 09-21-2018, 04:18 PM

I play in church and we use more traditional music. I see these chords a lot and play them by eliminating the third and playing both the second and fourth or just playing as a sus2 or sus4. What would you call this. I don't seem to find it in my chord finder app. The chord in question is the G24 just above the word "glory."

merlin666 · #2 09-21-2018, 04:37 PM

Possibly G sus2sus4

https://chordist.com/chord/G_sus2_sus4.html

That would also reflect the displayed notes G, A, C, D

dwh · #3 09-21-2018, 04:45 PM

Gsus4add2?

LukeW · #4 09-21-2018, 04:52 PM

Hmm. I guess there is a name for it in some chord finders, just not my GChord app. Thanks.

mr. beaumont · #5 09-21-2018, 04:55 PM

Gsus.

Get it?

Just play a G eliminate the third and add a 2 or 4. Stupid piano players and their 10 fingers.

LukeW · #6 09-21-2018, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Gsus.

Get it?

Just play a G eliminate the third and add a 2 or 4. Stupid piano players and their 10 fingers.

Ha. Where's the rimshot emoji?

CycleBob · #7 09-21-2018, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Gsus.

Get it?

Just play a G eliminate the third and add a 2 or 4. Stupid piano players and their 10 fingers.

Ha ha! That’s funny Mr B!

...I have no constructive contribution otherwise.

Earl49 · #8 09-21-2018, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Stupid piano players and their 10 fingers.

Made me laugh!

stanron · #9 09-21-2018, 11:04 PM

Do you read standard notation? This is music written for voices. Generically this music was not written with chords in mind. It wasn't written to be accompanied. The notes sung contain all the harmonic information required. The chords written are a kind of modern day after thought. I doubt that, before the 20th century, chords per syllable were even considered. Still, we are where we are. Do you read tab? If you do, and also for anyone else who is interested, here is tab for the three bars visible on that line.

Code:

                          4
  G    D7 Ddim7 D7  Bm   G2   G    
┌─────╥─5─────4─5───7───┬─5───3───────3───╖
├─3───╫─7─────6─7───7───┼─3───3───────3───╢
├─4───╫─5─────4─5───5───┼─5───4───────4───╢
├─────╫─0─────0─0───0───┼─────────────────╢
├─────╫─────────────────┼─────────────────╢
└─3───╨─────────────────┴─3───3───────3───╜

. 4 + . 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

You could just as well play G for the first chord, D7 for the first full bar and G for the second full bar. The voices are adding colour to those chords so the guitar does not have to. If you want to get that first chord in bar three try playing

x x 0 2 1 3

on the first beat and then the G chord of your choice for the rest of the bar.

(plus 1 re pianists)

brianmay · #10 09-22-2018, 03:59 AM

I think 'George' is a nice name . . .

Hmm . . . Yep George it is . . .

mattbn73 · #11 09-22-2018, 06:08 AM

Yeah, what stanron said. The in-between chords are about harmonizing the MELODY more than they are about creating "big HARMONY". Playing off of those hymn charts is really about learning what to leave OUT.

That Gsus4/2 sounds great if you're playing this as a chord melody, but otherwise, for rhythm section, it's not important overall. It would be like trying to play everything in your guitar part that backup singers sing under a melody. I often play the 4/2, but it's mostly "for me", for color. If you leave out the bass notes you can get away with D7 or Am for this chord , because that voice movement implies dominant or subdominant type thing . (Again, that's kind of micro harmony, underneath the larger context. Extra credit and for fun, definitely not REQUIRED.)

You have to play it somewhat by ear. Depending on the tempo, you can get away with just playing G. If it were slower, you want to play Gsus or Gsus2, because the 3rd will clash.

3X0213

And yes, you can play a Gsus on "Jesus" in any song...

mattbn73 · #12 09-22-2018, 06:16 AM

One other interesting thing. I often play these things instrumentally with a bass player. If you reduce the melody to three-note voicings, the G4/2 often functions as a dominant-with-pedal.
Like a G - D7/G -G...

XX543X
XXX535
XXX434
XXX535
XXX777
XXX535
XXX433

LukeW · #13 09-22-2018, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanron

Do you read standard notation? This is music written for voices. Generically this music was not written with chords in mind. It wasn't written to be accompanied. The notes sung contain all the harmonic information required. The chords written are a kind of modern day after thought. I doubt that, before the 20th century, chords per syllable were even considered. Still, we are where we are. Do you read tab? If you do, and also for anyone else who is interested, here is tab for the three bars visible on that line.

Code:

                          4
  G    D7 Ddim7 D7  Bm   G2   G    
┌─────╥─5─────4─5───7───┬─5───3───────3───╖
├─3───╫─7─────6─7───7───┼─3───3───────3───╢
├─4───╫─5─────4─5───5───┼─5───4───────4───╢
├─────╫─0─────0─0───0───┼─────────────────╢
├─────╫─────────────────┼─────────────────╢
└─3───╨─────────────────┴─3───3───────3───╜

. 4 + . 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + . 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +

You could just as well play G for the first chord, D7 for the first full bar and G for the second full bar. The voices are adding colour to those chords so the guitar does not have to. If you want to get that first chord in bar three try playing

x x 0 2 1 3

on the first beat and then the G chord of your choice for the rest of the bar.

(plus 1 re pianists)

I have completed the first Mel Bay book and can read the top line and play melody. I would agree that tbis was not written with guitar in mind. It's not as bad as some Easter and Christmas songs though. Some of those are difficult.

LukeW · #14 09-22-2018, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattbn73

Yeah, what stanron said. The in-between chords are about harmonizing the MELODY more than they are about creating "big HARMONY". Playing off of those hymn charts is really about learning what to leave OUT.

That Gsus4/2 sounds great if you're playing this as a chord melody, but otherwise, for rhythm section, it's not important overall. It would be like trying to play everything in your guitar part that backup singers sing under a melody. I often play the 4/2, but it's mostly "for me", for color. If you leave out the bass notes you can get away with D7 or Am for this chord , because that voice movement implies dominant or subdominant type thing . (Again, that's kind of micro harmony, underneath the larger context. Extra credit and for fun, definitely not REQUIRED.)

You have to play it somewhat by ear. Depending on the tempo, you can get away with just playing G. If it were slower, you want to play Gsus or Gsus2, because the 3rd will clash.

3X0213

And yes, you can play a Gsus on "Jesus" in any song...

Many times I don't play exactly as written. Chord changes on 8th notes are just too fast sometimes. I also leave most of the added bass notes for the piano or bass. I do need to learn what not to play or when chords are related enough (share a few notes) that no change is necessary.

Erithon · #15 09-22-2018, 07:49 AM

Stanron and mattbn73 make excellent points. This chord needs to be analyzed in its context: the G and D imply a G harmony while the C and A are passing notes getting you from the previous vi chord to the I. The full arrival on the I is delayed by the C and A which build musical tension--something further accented by their occurrence on the downbeat. Technically, yes, the C is a suspension of the B, the third of the G chord, but the context suggests that C is not really about suspending the third so much as it is about stepwise voice leading. This is paralleled in the tenor voice.