Suspended Chords on Guitar: Sus2 and Sus4 Explained

A suspended chord (sus chord) is a chord where the 3rd is replaced by the major 2nd (sus2) or the perfect 4th (sus4). Without the 3rd the chord is neither major nor minor, so it sounds open and unresolved, and it usually moves back to the plain chord. Csus2 = C D G, Csus4 = C F G.

Listen to the classic move: D, Dsus4, D, Dsus2, D. Only the note on the high E string changes.

D - Dsus4 - D - Dsus2 - D, strummed D-DU-UDU. The high E string plays F# (3rd), then G (4th), then E (2nd).

A major chord is built from the 1st (or root) note, 3rd and 5th of its major scale. Here is the C major scale with its degrees:

A normal triad takes 1, 3 and 5 (C E G). A suspended chord takes away the 3rd and puts the 2nd or the 4th in its place. Root and 5th stay where they are.

Why the tension? In sus2 the 2nd sits a whole step above the root; in sus4 the 4th sits a whole step below the 5th and only a half step above the missing major 3rd. Your ear expects that 3rd, so a sus4 in particular sounds like it is waiting to land.

Anytime you see sus2 or sus4 on a chord sheet, the chord is telling you to drop the 3rd and play the 2nd or 4th instead. It works the same way in seventh chords like C7sus4: no matter how complex the chord gets, you always know what to do with the sus.

Sus is short for suspended. The name comes from classical harmony, where a suspension is a note held over from the previous chord that then steps down to a chord tone, most often the 4th falling to the 3rd. A sus4 chord resolving to the major chord is the same move, played as two chords.

If a chord is written only as "sus" (Dsus, Asus), it means sus4. You will be able to tell by how it sounds too: once you know the suspended sound it is hard to miss.

A suspended chord is neither major nor minor, because the 3rd is the note that decides between the two. That makes sus chords useful as a bridge: Dsus4 can resolve to D major or to D minor.

The last row surprises many players: Csus2 (C D G) and Gsus4 (G C D) contain the same three notes. The chord name depends on which note works as the root, usually the bass note. This is the same idea as interval inversion: a 2nd turned upside down becomes a 7th, and a 4th becomes a 5th.

Hear both on an open A chord: A, Asus2, A, Asus4, A.

A - Asus2 - A - Asus4 - A. On the B string the 3rd (C#, 2nd fret) becomes B (open) for sus2 and D (3rd fret) for sus4.

Sus2 is not add9. A sus2 chord drops the 3rd (Csus2 = C D G). An add9 chord keeps the 3rd and adds the same note on top (Cadd9 = C E G D), so it still sounds major.

Find the 3rd in the open chord you already know, then move that one note: up to the 4th for sus4, down to the 2nd for sus2. Frets are written from the low E string to the high E string (x = do not play).

D, A and E are the friendliest: one finger moves and the rest of the chord stays. That is why you hear Dsus4, Asus4 and Esus4 so often in folk and rock rhythm parts.

The first (most common) shape of every natural-note sus2, sus4 and 7sus4 chord. Click a chord name for all its positions, notes and an audio player.

Csus2

Dsus2

Esus2

Fsus2

Gsus2

Asus2

Bsus2

Csus4

Dsus4

Esus4

Fsus4

Gsus4

Asus4

Bsus4

C7sus4

D7sus4

E7sus4

F7sus4

G7sus4

A7sus4

B7sus4

It is the resolution of these suspended chords that makes them sound so great, and you usually see the sus4 more often than the sus2. There are three common moves:

• Sus4 to major on the same root (Dsus4 - D, Asus4 - A). A staple of folk and chill rock, often played back and forth inside one strumming pattern.
• Sus2 to a different chord. The sus2 often precedes a chord with another root. For example, try Csus2 to G.
• 7sus4 to 7 to I. On the V chord, the 7sus4 delays the dominant 7th: G7sus4 - G7 - C.

G7sus4 - G7 - C: the C in G7sus4 drops to B in G7, then the chord resolves to C.

In some songs a sus chord is a one-time moment of tension; in others the songwriter moves back and forth all through the verse. If you are writing a song and want a moment of suspense, drop the 3rd and add the 2nd or 4th depending on your sonic goals.

As you advance in music theory, you will find the same idea in 6th chords, 7th chords and extended chords like 9sus4.

"Pinball Wizard" - The Who

There are many great examples of the suspended chord, and one of the best is The Who song "Pinball Wizard". That particular song is often used to teach sus chords as there are so many in it.

However you will usually see smaller amounts peppered in, like the Queen song "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" where they switch back and forth from D to Dsus4.

"What I Am" - Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians

"What I Am" by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians uses an Asus2, Dsus2 and Bsus2. The Police do the same thing in "Message in a Bottle".

This movement back and forth of suspended chords is common in modern pop, and creates a feeling between major and minor, just stuck in between. As we mentioned you will see sus2 less, but when it is used you might see it along with the sus4, like an Asus2 sitting next to an Asus4.

"Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty

Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" and Michael Jackson's "Black or White" are both great examples of using sus2 and sus4 chords. The progressions are sus4 - maj - sus2 - maj.

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" - John Lennon

John Lennon also used sus2 and sus4 chords, in different keys, in "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)". It also earns a spot among these great Christmas songs for guitar.

And the hit 60's tune "Venus" has a great example of a B7sus4; in fact that is the chord we first hear.

Suspended Chords: Further Resources

Sus chords are great chords to spot when learning a new song because they are so distinct sounding. Their dissonance marks a part of the song where a chord change is coming, which helps you find your place.

And as you advance and look into complex chords, you will always at least know what to do with the sus2 and sus4. Browse every sus shape in the guitar chord library.

Be sure to download our free chord ebook: it contains tons of shapes for playing suspended and other types of chords all along the fretboard.