What is this chord?

[diffra]

I was messing around while waiting for some code to compile for work today, and came up with the following progression. However, I can't for the life of me figure out what the 3rd chord actually is!

Note: the guitar was in drop D so I didn't use the 6th string

x32033 Cadd9
x20033 G
x02033 A7sus4? (A D E G, 1 4 5 b7)
x00233 Dsus4

after doing a bunch of googling, i *think* it's A7sus5, but does the b7 make sense? I'm a LONG way removed from my theory training, which I said i'd never be, but, here we are. Can anyone confirm?

 

[hubberjub]

A7sus4 is right. Anytime you see 7 in a chord it refers to the b7 unless it states maj7 or something similar. Since the 5 is normally part of a chord you won't see sus5.

 

[markb]

http://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=3&string4=3&string3=x&string2=2&string1=0&string0=x

 

[diffra]

A7sus4 is right. Anytime you see 7 in a chord it refers to the b7 unless it states maj7 or something similar. Since the 5 is normally part of a chord you won't see sus5.

Er, yeah, that was a typo -- I did mean sus4. Thanks

http://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=3&string4=3&string3=x&string2=2&string1=0&string0=x

Awesome tool!

 

[thearabianmage]

There could be a few possibilities. . . It depends on context, really. One problem with calling A-D-E-G an A7sus4 is that there is no third, so the chord could potentially be Am7sus4 or A7sus4. The other problem is that due to dissonance of the major 2nd interval between the 4 and 5, the 5 tends to be dropped for sus chords.

You could take that info and change the chord to fit the A7sus4, but my guess is that the chord is an Em7sus4. E=1, G=m3, A=4, D=m7. And again, due to the major 2nd interval between the m3 and the 4, the 4 will usually be played an octave higher, making it an extended chord, or a Em711.

But no answer is right or wrong, it all depends on what your ears want. Theory should only be used to analyze the music your ears want to hear.