N i d i a n & Her Three Sisters
Maj7sus4 - Chords & Tetratonic Modes
Maj7sus4 - Chords & Tetratonic Modes
Exploring Sus (short for suspended) chords, and the melodic lines they can generate is a sure way for improvisers and composers to stylistically evolve elements of their sound - as can be found in much of contemporary Jazz, Gospel and Pop.
The ambiguous quality of suspended chords is designed to delay, suspend or deny resolution to a Major or minor tonality, simultaneously creating tension and exhibiting an open, airy vibe.
In this post we'll be looking at a particular 4-note sus configuration and the tetratonic scale it produces, but first - let's suss out a few "sus" basics.
The ambiguous quality of suspended chords is designed to delay, suspend or deny resolution to a Major or minor tonality, simultaneously creating tension and exhibiting an open, airy vibe.
In this post we'll be looking at a particular 4-note sus configuration and the tetratonic scale it produces, but first - let's suss out a few "sus" basics.
In the first measure of Ex.1 below, we see how the suspended trichord* C-F-G (Csus4) delays or "suspends" resolution to a C Major triad, with the F, or suspended fourth (sus4) resolving down a half-step to E, the 3rd scale-step of C Major. Likewise in bar #2, the note D, the second scale-step of C Major, creates the suspension (Csus2), before resolving up a whole step to E.
Both sus4 and sus2 configurations are also known in 12-tone vernacular as 027 trichords. If we take the C in Csus4 up an octave, we have in essence an Fsus2. Likewise, if we drop the G in Csus2 down an octave, that'll give us Gsus4. In each case the distance from the root (0) is 2 semitones and 7 semitones, hence 027.
Ex.1 - Csus4 and Csus2 moving to C Maj *A 3-note note configuration, not built in 3rds.
Both sus4 and sus2 configurations are also known in 12-tone vernacular as 027 trichords. If we take the C in Csus4 up an octave, we have in essence an Fsus2. Likewise, if we drop the G in Csus2 down an octave, that'll give us Gsus4. In each case the distance from the root (0) is 2 semitones and 7 semitones, hence 027.
Ex.1 - Csus4 and Csus2 moving to C Maj *A 3-note note configuration, not built in 3rds.
Listen
We can add any of the nine still available notes to the initial suspended trichord to form various 4-note configurations. Adding a B-natural - a Maj 7th from C - to the Csus4 trichord, creates a C Maj7sus4.
From C, it's root, this 7thsus4 chord possesses a Perfect Fourth (P4), Perfect 5th (P5) and Major 7th. Ex.2 below illustrates a C Maj7sus4, in root position as well as it's three inversions.
Ex.2 - C Maj7sus4 and inversions, as vertical, chordal configurations.
From C, it's root, this 7thsus4 chord possesses a Perfect Fourth (P4), Perfect 5th (P5) and Major 7th. Ex.2 below illustrates a C Maj7sus4, in root position as well as it's three inversions.
Ex.2 - C Maj7sus4 and inversions, as vertical, chordal configurations.
Listen
Ex.3 shows these same 4 configurations as horizontal, tetratonic (4-note) scales. The names listed above each scale are from ianring.com, web home of Canadian pianist/ composer and theorist Ian Ring, and possibly the most comprehensive and informative source of theoretical musical information anywhere. I'm not sure how he came upon these labels, as Nidian, Bekian, Gosian and Cajian sound like they could be Armenian versions of a few of the Seven Dwarfs - but hey, if they're good enough for Mr. Ring...
These four tetratonic scales are inversions - and therefore modes - of each other. The numbers under the scale names in Ex. 3 represent the intervallic distance between each successive note. The numbers in parenthesis under each scale represent the number of semitones from the root (0).
Focusing on Nidian as the I Mode, it contains within an octave the intervals of:
one minor 2nd (B - C),
one Major 2nd (F - G),
one Major 3rd (G - B),
two Perfect 4ths (C - F & G - C),
one tritone (F - B or B - F),
two Perfect 5ths (C - G & F - C),
one Major 7th (C - B)
Ex.3 - C Maj7sus4 tetratonic modes with interval breakdowns.
These four tetratonic scales are inversions - and therefore modes - of each other. The numbers under the scale names in Ex. 3 represent the intervallic distance between each successive note. The numbers in parenthesis under each scale represent the number of semitones from the root (0).
Focusing on Nidian as the I Mode, it contains within an octave the intervals of:
one minor 2nd (B - C),
one Major 2nd (F - G),
one Major 3rd (G - B),
two Perfect 4ths (C - F & G - C),
one tritone (F - B or B - F),
two Perfect 5ths (C - G & F - C),
one Major 7th (C - B)
Ex.3 - C Maj7sus4 tetratonic modes with interval breakdowns.
As for chord and scale types one could superimpose, the list is long. Even though the chord symbol for C Maj7sus4 says "Maj7", this is not a Major 7th chord, as there is no Maj 3rd - nor is there a 3rd of any type determining chord quality. It's clear though, that it's a sus4 chord with a Maj 7th. The "Gosian" mode does contain a Maj 3rd, and a min 7th - a tritone. It's often used melodically - one of Joe Henderson's early favorites - over an unaltered dominant chord, G 11 in this case.
Inserting an Ab and a D into this mode would produce the Carnatic Raga Kalindaja.
Obviously, any of the modes derived from Major, Melodic & Harmonic Minor with the same root (C, in this case) will work. Any inclusion and/ or alteration of Major Scale steps 2, 3 & 6 (the in-between tones) would work in this case as well, forming more colorful and exotic sounding scales - including Double Harmonic Major, for example.
It's also interesting to note that in forming the inverse of the Nidian mode - by taking its ascending interval structure and applying it in descending fashion, as in:
Ascending: C P4 F M2 G M3 B m2 C
we get
Inverse Descending: C P4 G M2 F M3 Db m2 C
what I've named "The Super 4" and Ian Ring terms "Bapian".
Inserting an Ab and a D into this mode would produce the Carnatic Raga Kalindaja.
Obviously, any of the modes derived from Major, Melodic & Harmonic Minor with the same root (C, in this case) will work. Any inclusion and/ or alteration of Major Scale steps 2, 3 & 6 (the in-between tones) would work in this case as well, forming more colorful and exotic sounding scales - including Double Harmonic Major, for example.
It's also interesting to note that in forming the inverse of the Nidian mode - by taking its ascending interval structure and applying it in descending fashion, as in:
Ascending: C P4 F M2 G M3 B m2 C
we get
Inverse Descending: C P4 G M2 F M3 Db m2 C
what I've named "The Super 4" and Ian Ring terms "Bapian".
Ex.4 is part of an exercise / sequence from the free downloadable PDF (link below) where it's transposed to all keys. It's based on the intervallic make-up of each of the Maj7sus4 tetratonic modes, starting from a common tone - again C in this example. This exercise is similar in construction to the X-Centric Pentatonic sequences, found on this website.
The four Maj7sus4 tetratonics are ordered according to the size of their initial interval:
DbMaj7sus4 starts with a half-step, C-Db (Cajian)
GMaj7sus4 starts with a whole-step, C-D (Bekian)
FMaj7sus4 starts with a Maj 3rd, C-E (Gosian)
CMaj7sus4 starts with a Perfect 4th, C-F (NIDIAN)
Ex.4 - The four Maj7sus4 tetratonic modes from a common tone - ascending & descending sequence.
The four Maj7sus4 tetratonics are ordered according to the size of their initial interval:
DbMaj7sus4 starts with a half-step, C-Db (Cajian)
GMaj7sus4 starts with a whole-step, C-D (Bekian)
FMaj7sus4 starts with a Maj 3rd, C-E (Gosian)
CMaj7sus4 starts with a Perfect 4th, C-F (NIDIAN)
Ex.4 - The four Maj7sus4 tetratonic modes from a common tone - ascending & descending sequence.
Listen
The final item on the menu is a short improvised solo, played on an Akai EWI, over a 4-bar vamp consisting of this same group of Ma7sus4s, again utilizing a common tone - this time being F#. Here, their order was determined by each tetratonic's Maj 7th - which are the top notes of each voicing, ascending as whole notes as the chordal melody - F - F# - A# & C (heard, but not seen).
Ex. 5 shows the first eight bars of the solo, in which the Maj7sus4s are pretty closely outlined, beginning on the Maj7th in bars #1, 3, 5 & 7. An F# minor pentatonic is played against the C# Maj7sus4 in bar #8, which works fine, since F# is common to all four chords - meaning we are in the key of F#... something!
Remember that Ma7sus4 chords are not necessarily Maj (or min) chords, as they have no 3rd.
Ex.5 - First eight bars of EWI solo - common tone F#.
Ex. 5 shows the first eight bars of the solo, in which the Maj7sus4s are pretty closely outlined, beginning on the Maj7th in bars #1, 3, 5 & 7. An F# minor pentatonic is played against the C# Maj7sus4 in bar #8, which works fine, since F# is common to all four chords - meaning we are in the key of F#... something!
Remember that Ma7sus4 chords are not necessarily Maj (or min) chords, as they have no 3rd.
Ex.5 - First eight bars of EWI solo - common tone F#.
The final eight bars (Ex. 6) show how filler-tones, which in this case include both A and A# - the Major and minor 3rds of common tone F# - are both utilized effectively, before taking the one-note, 2-3 clave approach on trusty old F#, letting all four Maj7sus4s pass on by and speak for themselves.
Ex.6 - Last eight bars. Maj - min 3rd Blues oriented sound in bars # 1-4.
Ex.6 - Last eight bars. Maj - min 3rd Blues oriented sound in bars # 1-4.
Listen
The full transcription of this short improvised solo is attached to the free downloadable pdf (link above).
I sincerely hope this post held you in enough suspense to sustain your interest. I suspect that if you've read this far, it did!
B. Stern
I sincerely hope this post held you in enough suspense to sustain your interest. I suspect that if you've read this far, it did!
B. Stern
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