Chord Appreciation: the 13sus

[feloniuspunk]

For our example I will use a C13sus for illustration. These chords are very open and airy sounding. They spell out chromatically as: 1-3-5-7-11-13, six different notes. So for a C13sus you’d have the notes C-E-G-Bb-F-A to choose from. Below are a couple of different voicings I use. I normally use the 4-5-6-7 voicing as in the first example or the 1-4-6-7 voicing as in the second example. It’s difficult for me to include the root sometimes so if I have a good bass player (as I always try to) then I don’t have to worry about the root. These chords even sound good with a 5 in the bass as in the first example.

C13sus (difficult for me)
E) - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - A (6)
B) - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - F (11/4)
G) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bb (7)
D) - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - G (5)
A) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - C (1) or mute
E) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - G (5) or mute


C13sus (less difficult for me)
E) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - C (1)
B) - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - A (13/6)
G) - - - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - F (11/4)
D) - - - - - - - x - - - - - - - - - - Bb (7)
A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute
E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - mute


This chord is used quite routinely in jazz tunes. I'd love to hear a set of wind chimes tuned to this chord. There are lots of other different voicings you can come up with. Show us some of yours:


E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
G) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
D) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[TRandy16]

OK...As in measure #9 in the first verse of "One Note Samba", in the key of "C", where it is played for two beats before it resolves downward to a C6/9 chord before the Eb13 to Eb9 chord....right?


You should be able to follow this as you were the one who taught this to me one night during a band break many years ago.:D

Tim...follower of Nick.

[ernojuhani]

Here's one:

Grab a B flat major 7th chord on the 4 top strings.

Bb, D, F, A.

Then, w/ your thumb, take a C on the low E string.

Like this?

E--A
B---F
G----D
D-----Bb
A-------
E-------C

C7sus13 or Bbmaj7/C, whatever you want to call it.

ej.