Chords that aren't based off of thirds

Apr 16, 2004
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Does anyone know what chords based off of fifths (i.e. AEB) or fourths (ADG) are called? The ones off of fifths sound excellent.
 
FauxPerspicacity said:
Does anyone know what chords based off of fifths (i.e. AEB) or fourths (ADG) are called? The ones off of fifths sound excellent.

Chords that are made with 4ths or 2nds rather than 3rds are suspended chords (the third is temporarily suspended with the interval above it or below it (i.e. second or fourth) until it can be resolved with the third).

Typically, most chords are structured R(oot)-(minor or major)3-5. Suspended chords are structured R-2-5 or R-4-5.

The chord you're describing (i.e. AEB) based on a fifth interval between each note of the chord is actually a suspended 2nd chord (in this case, it's a A9 chord). The one you're describing based off of 4ths is a suspended 4th chord with a minor 7th (Asus4min7).

For more fun, you can also use flat fifths and minor thirds in conjuction with your root note (diminished chords) or root-major 3-flat 5 (half-diminished chord). Be advised that diminished chords sound best when you use the 3rd as the bass note.

Inversions are simply the chord, but the root note no longer appears as the lowest note. Then, typically, it's the 3rd, 5th or 7th that appears as the bass note.
 
Only if you're talking about the quartal (or double fourth) chord and this name was merely made up for a suspended 4th chord with a minor 7th (i.e. Esus4 min.7). When an interval of the chord is not played, the chord is incomplete, but the voicing of the chord can still be determined. There are times when the fifth of a chord will be left off; the chord remains the same and retains its tonality.

The chord doesn't change when the intervals go above the octave of the root, despite any fancy name that the chord is given (i.e. A9, which you'll usually only find in guitar music that is not classical-based). A chord voiced with A-E-B (which has an interval of a fifth between each note) for example, is still an A suspended 2nd (Asus2) chord.
 
Hey quartal might be it. Hmmm.

But if you leave out certain voices of a chord its ambiguous. For instance leaving out the E in an ACE chord you could interpret that as either AC(E) or (F)AC.
 
Secondary dominant, that's what they are when you base a chord or a progression of chords off of the fifth. For the fourth, idonno.
 
Doesn't secondary dominance have to do with playing chords of chords like a V of V chord in C major would be D major since the G is the V of C and D is the V of G.

Probably irrelevent.
 
FauxPerspicacity said:
Doesn't secondary dominance have to do with playing chords of chords like a V of V chord in C major would be D major since the G is the V of C and D is the V of G.

Probably irrelevent.

I think that might have more to do with the actual scale form. In this case, the V of a scale usually is the Dominant Tone. The chords also use the same names (i.e. tonic, supertonic, median, dominant, subdominant, etc.)

As to leaving out notes of the chord (i.e. the 5) the chord is still established if the root or another note is doubled, as you will sometimes see in Classical music where it is not uncommon to see 3 root notes of a chord played and only one 3rd played. (This can result in an inversion of the chord, depending on where the 3rd is placed.) Deletion of notes often occurs when using 7th chords because of a lack of space for the chord. It's not uncommon to find chords structured with R-3-7-R.

By the way, you can also interpret the chord using A and C as a D minor chord with a minor 7th (DFAC). ;) Typically, though, the lowest note is usually assigned as the root of the chord.

The same ambiguousness can also be said of power chords (root-5) where the root is not doubled...it could be the root and 5 of a chord, but it could also be the 3 and 7 of a chord. What are the other instuments playing? What is your vocalist singing?

Remember, there are really very few chord forms and many of the chords that are found in Rock music are really just a rearrangement or renaming of chords. The easiest way to find out what a chord is is to take all the voices of that chord and arrange them until they form a perfect triad on a sheet (i.e. ACE, CEG, EGB, etc.) the lowest note will be your root. The chord will still retain its tonality no matter which way you scramble the notes - unless the bass note is a note that is not the root of the chord (then, it becomes one of the inversions).