Suspensions

Complexity : 4/10 (intermediate)

The suspension is a tone whose natural progression has been rhythmically delayed.

There are 3 factors in the management of a suspension
- Preparation - the sounding of the note to be suspended as a harmony note in the same part, in the first chord.
- Percussion - the actual sounding or striking of the discord
- Resolution - the progression of the discord to a concord, by falling one step.

Suspensions are named on basis of the intervals of the relevant notes above the bass. A 4-3 suspension means the suspended note is a 4th above the bass.

GENERAL
- The suspension may occur in any part, and any note of the triad may be suspended.
- The tied note is characteristic of the suspension as this is the means by which the note is delayed while the root changes. If tied, the second of the tied notes must not be longer than the first.
- The resolution of the suspension is usually to the scale step below, but upward resolution is possible (retardation). If the suspended note is a leading note or a chromatically raised note, it will have a natural resolution to the note above.
- The suspension does not usually resolve on a fraction of a beat, especially the second half of a first beat. The amount of time a tone is suspended is typically at least 1 whole beat.
- Ornamental resolutions are possible before the actual note of resolution arrives. These could be in the form of auxiliary, escape notes, cambiata, or anticipation, or there may be a note of harmony interpolated between the suspension and its resolution.
- The suspension of the 5th of a chord is really only effective in connection with the second inversion. This is because the 6th of the scale actually does not form a discord with the first inversion and the root position. (In the case of the second inversion, a discord of a 9th is produced).
- Suspensions in the bass need extra care. Only the root or the first inversion may be effectively suspended. In the early stages, it is best to suspend only the first inversion.
- Suspensions can occur in the root, 3rd and 5th of the dominant 7th.

RULES
- A suspension MUST be prepared by a harmony note.
- The note on resolution may not be struck against the suspension unless the latter be in the bass. There are NO exceptions to this rule. The note of resolution may NOT be struck against the note of suspension.
- Suspensions do not remove consecutives.

EFFECTIVE USAGE
- Cadences may often be effectively used to decorate a cadence.
- A long note where no change of chord is desirable may well have a suspension above or below it.
- A note repeated weak to strong and falling a step can be effectively harmonized using a suspension. In the case of the 4th of the scale repeated and falling a step to the 3rd, there are two possibilities (treat the repeated note as V7d or as a suspension. In the case of short value notes, the suspension is preferable).
- 4-3 suspensions are very effective. 9-8 and 7-6 suspensions are also good. 2-1 suspensions rarely sound good.
RESOLUTION
- A suspension may resolve into another position of the same chord or into another chord.

DOUBLE SUSPENSION
If two notes of a chord are both to fall a step into the next chord, moving in parallel 3rds or 6ths - a double suspension is possible.