Songs with the sus4-triad-sus2-triad Figure

I guess that's the thing: if one just looks for the neighbour-note pattern over the implied harmony (like in "Carnival of Sorts" - possibly my favourite REM song btw), it's probably there all over the place. However, "sus4-triad-sus2-triad" implies that a full chord is stated each time, as it is in most of these songs. And that's probably much rarer in common practice music.

I was sure I remembered Frank Zappa saying something about this in 'The Real Frank Zappa Book" and yes, I knew I could rely on some Zappa obsessive somewhere on the net to have quoted it, so I didn't have to go and dig the damn thing from the back of the bookcase...

"Musically, the northern bands had a little more country style. In L.A., it was folk-rock to death. Everything had that fucking D chord down at the bottom of the neck where you wiggle your finger around—like "Needles and Pins."

Ha. Although I also remember reading somewhere him saying that the ii-V7-I progression should be outlawed.

That reminds me that some bands did this on "Hey Joe." The Love version, for example.

I don't think "Stairway to Heaven" does this, actually, although it goes Dsus4-D all the time. "Tangerine" is the one with this figure.

'Show Me The Way' by Small Faces?

Although you have to wait until about 1:29 to hear it.

Interesting: apparently, Jackie deShannon's version of "Needles and Pins" was only a hit in Canada, at least according to Wikipedia.

Well-spotted re that Small Faces song!

The intro to Tell Me by the Rolling Stones does this.

In B too! Good one.

Sund4r this is one of the most common movements in pop music! I think it's featured in every Zep song with an acoustic. The riff of "Friends" changes it up by adding a sus#4. "Kashmir" adds a susb2. I'd need to sit down with the records but iirc it's what Page's hand is always doing.

I have always liked the descending sus4 to sus3 pattern in "River Man". A (C#) - a (C) - gsus4 (C) - g (Bb) - Fsus4 (Bb) - F (A) - A (A). Change a few notes and you've got the final hook in "Closer". Or the breakdown in "Kashmir".

Yeah, I thought I'd be able to name half a dozen Zep songs that do this right off the bat but "Tangerine" is the only one that came to mind that does exactly this. I'm sure there are probably more if I sit down with the records.

Husker Du's "Ice Cold Ice" doesn't do this but, interestingly, does the same sort of neighbour motion over ^5 (^6-^5-^4-^5) on a power chord in its pre-chorus.

"... I could probably find more if I sat..."

"... on ^5 over a power chord ..."

Also, except for REM and the Gin Blossoms, nearly all the examples here are from 1963-1975. The two REM examples are from 1984. What's the most recent song to feature this? Would we have to look to country radio?

I think I heard they were discussing exactly this on the Rolling Country thread, although when I tried to load it my browser broke so I can't be sure.

Oh, duh, Zep's "Thank You"

Indigo Girls--Closer To Fine

I sincerely, sincerely doubt it. I bet you could find it in every song by a Mumford a Monsters & Men or a Lumineer but I am not going to check for you.

I am posting snippier today than I mean to be :p

The main piano riff in "Someone like you" by Adele

Which is the same melody as "Paint it, Black"

Yeah, maybe it's just that none of us listen to the contemporary bands who do this.

(Man, Plant's voice on II.)

xposts

I don't see it in the Adele song? It's in A and the progression in the main piano figure is A-C#/G#-F#m-D, I think, with the highest voice moving from E to F#?

C#m/G#, that should be

unless it's Amaj7/G#

(Man, Plant's voice on II.)

(was still really powerful and full-bodied was what I meant, to digress. I wish he still sang like that when Page's end of things got really great on IV/HotH/PG.)

OK, back on track now

Whoop, you're right about Adele. In my head I was confusing the piano intro with that of Jewel's "Foolish Games"

Funny, I have a little riff I made up with this a few years ago (in D) and I've been trying to figure out which song I stole it from. But I think it's not so much that I stole as it sounds like a lot of other things. It's for sure one of the easiest things a novice guitarist can do to sound like they know something.

Oh, that's the first example someone's given of this in a minor key!
xpost

Hm, I was honestly just shooting the shit when I started this thread but I'm starting to wonder if there's a paper to be written here. ILX would get any due credit if I ever actually write something, obv.

Ha, I'm listening to Wilco and "One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)" does this in F with a ^4-^3-^2-^1 line in the highest voice (^2-^3-^4-^3-^2-^1 if you consider the whole riff).

I don't know if that actually counts as suspended chords though because he's basically just playing that melodic line with the harmony being implied.

"wicked little town" from "hedwig and the angry inch"

(which makes two of these that the breeders covered, along with "so sad about us.")

Probably too easy to just find examples ^4-^3-^2-^1 over the tonic in the bass, although there's no real functional difference.

the other one guitarist/songwriters like a lot is descending from the major triad, to major seventh to dominant seventh chord, e.g. the verse in strawberry fields forever or Something (which also features the rarer minor chord version)

the other one guitarist/songwriters like a lot is descending from the major triad, to major seventh to dominant seventh chord, e.g. the verse in strawberry fields forever or Something (which also features the rarer minor chord version)

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, July 21, 2013 7:54 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Fucking hell, it's like you just read my mind... was just thinking this!

I call it the 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' progression because that's where I first remember hearing it.

I don't think "Stairway to Heaven" does this

No, but a sus2-triad-sus4 progression is used in the breakdown before the solo.

"Here's Where You Belong" by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band http://youtu.be/-AXjkHuYxXA

Hmmmmm. I dunno, Sund4r, this is too common a musical device to really derive any interesting conclusions, imo.

Tend to agree with with that. Sorry, Sund4r.

You're probably right. I like to feel like I'm not just wasting time though.

Talking about wasting time, I once figured out how to play the So Sad About Us progression in G so I could put in the truck driver key change up to A

Me I'm interested in songs that have changeable 4ths. #4 on the verses, then hit a solid IV-chord on the choruses. Most on-the-nose example is Grizzly Bear "Two Weeks". Or chorus of "This guy's in love with you", where the introduction of the #4 (as a secondary dominant) feels like the sun coming out. Or XTC "Travels in Nihilon", where it sounds like the end of the world.

I think You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory by Johnny Thunders does this.

This being the thread title, not flamboyant goon tie included's example.

I was sure I remembered Frank Zappa saying something about this in 'The Real Frank Zappa Book" and yes, I knew I could rely on some Zappa obsessive somewhere on the net to have quoted it, so I didn't have to go and dig the damn thing from the back of the bookcase...

Doesn't he do it, as a poke at folk rock, on a song on "We're Only In It For the Money"? Possibly "Flower Punk"? I'd have to check, but the the inspiration might well be this:

That reminds me that some bands did this on "Hey Joe." The Love version, for example.

Pretenders - I’ll Stand by You
Pearl Jam - Immortality

People, we have neglected a classic of this genre. May I present:

"Little Girl" by the Syndicate of Sound!

Brian Jonestown massacre - monster

man I don't trust any guitarist who does this kind of thing - like if you take a chord and move the major third up a half step that's sus for sure, but if you move it down a whole step that's sus too!

Not sure if it’s already been mentioned but Sugar - If I Can’t Change Your Mind

There have to be multiple REM examples, right? (Tim?)

― EveningStar (Sund4r), Friday, July 19, 2013 3:07 PM (16 minutes ago)

"Camera" does D-Dsus4-D5-Dsus4-D-Dsus2 in the chorus ("Alone in a crowd...")

<3