What are suspended chords?
A major or minor chord is built on a root, a third and a fifth. The third is what makes it major or minor. A suspended chord removes that third and puts a neighbouring note in its place. That leaves a chord that is neither happy nor sad, and the result sounds open and suspended in mid-air.
There are two ways to do it, which is why you meet two names:
- Sus2: the third becomes the 2nd. Csus2 is C D G. It sounds open, airy and modern.
- Sus4: the third becomes the 4th. Csus4 is C F G. It sounds tense, and the 4th wants to fall down onto the third.
Hear them against the plain major chord: each one is the same C chord with the third moved up or down a step.
| Chord | Formula | Notes on C | Sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cmajor | 1 3 5 | C E G | bright and settled |
| Csus2suspended 2nd | 1 2 5 | C D G | open, floating and unresolved |
| Csus4suspended 4th | 1 4 5 | C F G | tense, hanging and wanting to resolve |
| C7sus4dominant 7 sus 4 | 1 4 5 ♭7 | C F G B♭ | suspended and bluesy at once |
Why "suspended"?
The name comes from classical harmony. When the chord changes, one note stays behind (it is suspended) and clashes with the new chord until it falls by a step to a note that fits. In the sus4 to major move, the 4th is held over from the previous sound, then drops to the 3rd. That small clash and release is the whole idea, and it still works in every style today.
How to use sus chords effectively
1. Sus4 resolving to major: the classic
Play Dsus4 then D, or Asus4 then A. The change is tiny but it makes the major chord feel like an arrival. It is the oldest trick for making a chord feel like it has been earned, and it is especially good at the end of a phrase or the end of a bar.
2. Sus2 as an open, colourful sound
Sus2 has no pull to resolve. It sits happily in a song as it is, which is why it is so popular in pop and rock intros and in ambient music. It is also a good swap for a major or minor chord when you want the same harmony with less definition: the missing third lets a melody or a singer decide the mood.
3. Replacing the third to avoid clashes
If a melody note or a bass note is already playing the third, or the third clashes with it, a sus chord removes the problem. It is also what many songwriters reach for when they want a chord to work over both a major and a minor key.
4. 7sus4 for a groove
A 7sus4 chord (C F G B♭) keeps the relaxed, funky character of a dominant 7th but without the strong need to resolve. It appears constantly in soul, funk and gospel, and is a softer V chord: G7sus4 to C is a very smooth move.
A tip: sus chords share notes
Because sus2 and sus4 are built from the root, a neighbour and the fifth, the same three notes can have two names. Csus4 (C F G) is the same notes as Fsus2 (F G C), and Gsus4 is the same notes as Csus2. The bass note decides which name fits. That is why the drill always tells you the root.
Common mistakes
- Calling it "sus" and meaning sus2. A plain "sus" in a chord chart means sus4. If you want sus2, it will say so.
- Forgetting that there is no third. If you add the third back in, you are playing an add4 or a major chord with a clash, not a suspended chord.
- Over-using them. One sus chord per phrase is a flavour. Making every chord a sus leaves a song with no ground.
How to practise
- Warm-up: tell major, sus2 and sus4 apart on white-key roots. The note names are on the keys so you can see that the third moves to the 2nd or the 4th.
- Working set: every root, with minor chords mixed in and no labels. Sometimes you build the chord from scratch on the keyboard.
- Heavy lift: 7sus4 joins in, and the chords are shown in inversions so you have to recognise them from the notes alone.
- Play them. Take any chord you know and turn it into sus2 and sus4 by moving the third. Then browse the shapes in the guitar and ukulele chord libraries.
Sus chords are the lightest step beyond major and minor. When you are ready for more, try the augmented and diminished chords, the seventh chords, or the full chord types guide. To see which chords fit a song, use the chord finder.
Frequently asked questions
What is a suspended chord?
A suspended chord replaces the third of a major or minor chord with a neighbouring note, either the 2nd (sus2) or the 4th (sus4). With no third, the chord is neither major nor minor, which gives it an open, unresolved sound.
What is the difference between sus2 and sus4?
Sus2 swaps the third for the 2nd (C D G) and sounds open and airy. Sus4 swaps it for the 4th (C F G) and sounds tense, as if it wants to fall back to the third. Both keep the root and the perfect fifth.
What does "suspended" actually mean?
In classical harmony a note from the previous chord is held over (suspended) into the next one, creating a dissonance that then resolves by step. The classic sus4 to major is this idea: the 4th is held over, then falls to the 3rd.
Is a sus chord major or minor?
Neither. Without a third, there is nothing to say major or minor. This is why sus chords can substitute for either, and why they sound ambiguous.
Do I have to resolve a sus chord?
No. Sus4 often resolves to the major chord on the same root (Dsus4 to D), but in pop, rock and film music suspended chords are often left hanging on purpose. Sus2 rarely needs to resolve at all.
Why is Csus4 the same notes as Fsus2?
Csus4 is C F G, and Fsus2 is F G C: the same three notes with a different root. Which name is right depends on which note sounds like the root, which is usually the bass note.
What is a 7sus4 chord?
7sus4 is a dominant 7th with the third replaced by the 4th (C F G B♭). It has the stable, funky sound of a seventh chord without the strong pull of the third, and is common in funk, soul and gospel.
How do I play sus chords on guitar?
Open Dsus4, Dsus2, Asus2, Asus4 and Esus4 are all easy shapes and are a good place to start. Browse any of them in the guitar chord library, with ukulele shapes too.