Unit 8: Sweet Home Alabama

This lesson will introduce the suspended chord, and the 6 chord. We will also play through the same chord progression in 3 different ways. You will be responsible for playing all three versions of the chord progession (It's a V,IV,I in G- The same as "Love Me Do" but backwards.) as well as being able to explain the theory behind the new chords. Let's cover those first.

The notation for suspended chord in our song looks like this: Csus2. C is the root, sus (the suspension)is the instruction to replace the third of the chord and 2 is the scale degree with which you should replace the third. So if a C major chord (1,3,5) is spelled like this: C-E-G; then a Csus2 is spelled like this C-D-G. "Sweet Home Alabama" uses the Csus2 chord as the second chord in the main riff and in the verse like this:

D Csus2 G
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------3---------------3-------------3-----------------------
--------------2---------------0-------------0------------------2-0
------0-0----------0-----------------------------------0-2-0------
----------------------3--3--------3-----------------0-2-------3----
-------------------------------------3-3-----------3----------------


Another way to suspend a chord is to use the 4th instead of the 2nd to replace the third. The notation for this would be Csus4. Or, since it is more common to use the suspended 4th, simply Csus. The reason the 4th and the 2nd are the notes used in a suspension is because those are the notes that surround the 3 in the scale.

Onto the 6th chord. Think of this concept as an extension of the 5th chord or "power" chord. The 5th chord (a root and it's 5th) isn't really a chord at all because it has no third. "D5" is simply a D and an A played at the same time.
D5
---------
---------
---------
----7----
----5----
---------

To provide a little motion, guitarists move the 5th up to the 6th and back. Check out "Johnny B. Goode", "Old Time Rock and Roll" and "Keep Your Hands To Yourself"

---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
---7-7-9-7-5-5-7-5---------
---5-5-5-5-3-3-3-3-5-5-7-5-
-------------------3-3-3-3-

A little disclaimer: It is common to see the chord C6 in the jazz context. In this case, the chord is spelled as a complete C triad, with the 6th on top- C-E-G-A. I prefer to spell this chord CMaj6 as it implies the 3rd with the "Maj". For our rock and roll purposes, use the above definition. It is, after all, only shorthand.

The other way to play this chord progression (D,C,G) is in the interlude section of "Sweet Home". In this section the voicing we have learned as "A" (second fret on the D,G, and B strings) is moved up to the 7th fret for the D chord and the 5th fret for the C chord. This works the same way the F chord turned into the G chord in "Saving Grace". Remember? An F chord played up a whole step on the guitar becomes a G chord. So an "A" chord (second fret) moved up to the 7th fret becomes A "D" chord. Compare these two chords:
D D
--2-- -----
--3-- --7--
--2-- --7--
----- --7--
----- -----
----- -----

They sound exactly the same.

This tune will take a little while to get down comfortably. Practice, follow the lead sheet, and listen to a recording.

So this has been a long post. Here's what you will be responsible for playing on the test:
1. The main riff
2. The interlude
3. The chorus
4 The 4 bar solo after the 1st chorus *Advanced players only*
The written component will include:
1. Spell a variety of sus chords
2. Spell 5th and 6th chords
3. Scale and chord refresher