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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Music theory → Chord diagram that makes no sense
I came across a chord on Chordie that was Amsus4, (which first of all should really be an A minor add 11) but the diagram for the Amsus4 was |002220| Which is an A major chord.
Is there something I'm missing here?
Well, there is a difference between a sus4 and add11. Suspended (sus) chords "suspend" the 3rd and add the 4th, while an "add" chord, simply adds the appropriate note to a triad.
That aside, that is an interesting notation. Minor suspended 4 chords don't really make sense, as it would be identical to a plain old sus chord. You suspend the 3rd, which is where the chord gets it's quality from. In other words, the thing that makes a chord major or minor goes away in a sus chord.
Amsus4 would be A D E
Asus4 would also be A D E
Anyway, Asus4 isn't what's noted there. That is plain old 1st position A.
Asus4 is 002230 or or 000230, if you like. Point is, get rid of the C# (or C, if you're in Am) and add a D.
Thank you for your reply, I am quite familiar with the theory of suspended chords and such.
I just didn't understand why an A Major chords |002220| was listed with the name Amsus4. I can only assume that it's from the old chord theory, indicating suspending the minor to a major. Perhaps some now forgotten way of playing an A Major chord in a key with a rightful Am chord.
Who knows really?
There are a lot of old chord theory oddities I've encountered in older books and with older players. Seemingly before chord theory adopted it's modern ruleset.
Anyway, thanks for your response. I just thought I'd bring this to the attention of someone.
P.S. (When I said the chord should be an Amadd11, I meant that my understanding of translating the name "Amsus4" would be of breaking down the name, Am + sus4. Changing the "sus4" into an "add11" for the obvious reasons that you can't have a minor chord with a sus4. As that defeats the purpose.)
Well, I would apply Occam's razor, and guess that it was simply a typo. 
I'm not sure what you mean by "old chord theory," though. Diatonic scales and their related chords go back at least to the 1600's.
The sus vs add thing still won't work. In a sus chord, there is no 3rd at all. In an add chord, there is. It would be entirely appropriate to play Amadd4 (or 11, if you like), but there is no such thing as AmsusX, or A major sus 4, either. The 3rd is where the major/minor quality comes from. So a sus chord is neither major or minor. Amsus4 to Amadd11 is still more than just moving the D up an octave, as you add the 3rd as well. Does that make sense?
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Music theory → Chord diagram that makes no sense
