” Pentatomic – All you can do with the minor pentatonic " is an educational column that explains the use of the pentatonic scale on the modes where its application is possible. The familiarity of this scale for guitarists means that its application is immediate even in the less usual ways. Pentatonic is widely used by guitarists of all kinds and backgrounds.
Here are many possible applications.
The sus4 chord (7sus4 or 9sus4) is part of the family of quartal chords.
A quartal chord can also be referred to as a suspended chord, or sus4.
It can be formed by a triad or a four-voice chord. In the case of the triad, the major third of the chord is replaced by the fourth, creating a suspension of the third and thus creating an ambiguous mode.
A possible use, especially in pop music, is to precede the tonic and dominant chord, or at the end of a cadence to not definitively conclude the song, since the chord lacks precisely the major third (in rare cases the minor one).
This type of chord comes from classical contrapuntal music, where the technique of suspension or delay of the third is used. It is a process by which a note is maintained in the forthcoming chord and then resolved on a note of the chord.
In contemporary music this resolution is not a must, but the name of the chord serves to describe only the notes that compose it.
Meaning, a sus4 chord does not necessarily have to resolve its third.
In JAZZ it finds wide use. We can see it in its four-voice form, with the dominant seventh within it and in many cases also with the ninth.
It generates two invertions; the sus4 turns into sus2 and vice versa. Their invertions generates a fourth chord, because it is formed by two overlapping perfect fourths.
In JAZZ this chord is built on the fifth grade, where it respects its function. The major third is replaced by the perfect fourth, and the minor seventh coexists with the ninth in the chord.
A possible disposition of voices to bring this sound to life could be as follows :
Fundamental, 4th, b7, 9th.
To describe this mode I chose minor pentatonic because of its easy use and fluidity. With the minor pentatonic a right fifth above the tonic chord, we, in fact, play these tensions : 5th, b7, Fundamental, 9th, 4th-all notes that perfectly describe Sus 4!
You just have to try! Nicola Di Tommaso
