Hello Lee, I’m making my second read through your theory book & this time taking notes. One question I have is, are the Sus chords able to invert and change root note while retaining the same shape? I’m asking because you laid an example of musicians possibly arguing over an “inverted” Sus chord. Please help. Sean
If I understand you correctly then I’d say no. Symmetrical chords like diminished and augmented will retain the same shape so can be viewed as an inversion of any of the notes in the chord.
Sus4 and Sus2 can be one of two different chords, depending really on context or what most of us do, define it by what note is in the bass.
Csus4 notes would be C,F,G
Fsus 2 notes: F,G,C
If we look at it from the G perspective then it no longer makes a typical chord. G, C, F would give us 1,4,b7. Not easy to name it.
The main reason I talk about the connection between these two chords is just about making readers aware. Personally I just think of Csus4 and Fsus2 as separate chords just depending on context. If I’m thinking C then it’s just C. If it’s a very common chord shape I’m using, eg, Dsus4 …
E:3
B:3
G:2
D:0
A:x
E:x
I’ll always think of that as Dsus4 even when technically it could be Gsus2.
