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Suspended 2nd Chord (sus2) on guitar

A sus2 chord swaps the third for the second, an open sound that is neither major nor minor.

Written asCsus2
Formula1 2 5
Notes in CC D G
Semitones from the root0, 2, 7

About the Suspended 2nd Chord

Csus2 is C, D and G. Without a 3rd it has no major or minor colour.

Pop and rock guitarists use it for shimmering open chords. Dsus2 and Asus2 are easy to play in open position.

It often moves back to the plain major or minor chord, the 2nd rising to the 3rd.

Intervals

  • 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
  • 2: Major 2nd, 2 semitones above the root
  • 5: Perfect 5th, 7 semitones above the root

Suspended 2nd Chord charts in all 12 keys

Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.

Csus2: C D G

Csus2×○○314
x30013
Csus2×13411
x35533
Csus28123411
8(10)(12)(12)88

Gsus2: G A D

Gsus2○○2134
300233
Gsus25××1341
xx5785

Dsus2: D E A

Dsus2××○○12
xx0230
Dsus25×13411
x57755
Dsus29○○2134
(10)009(10)(10)

Asus2: A B E

Asus2×○○○12
x02200
Asus27××1341
xx79(10)7
Asus2○○○412
502200

Esus2: E F# B

Esus2○××○12
02xx02
Esus2××1341
xx2452
Esus2○11341
022452

Bsus2: B C# F#

Bsus2×13411
x24422
Bsus27123411
79(11)(11)77

F#sus2: F# G# C#

F#sus2××2134
2xx122
F#sus24××1341
xx4674
F#sus22123411
246622

C#sus2: C# D# G#

C#sus2×31124
x41124
C#sus24×13411
x46644

G#sus2: G# A# D#

G#sus2××4123
4113xx
G#sus26××1341
xx6896
G#sus24123411
468844

Ebsus2: Eb F Bb

Ebsus2××1342
xx1341
Ebsus28211134
(11)888(11)(11)

Bbsus2: Bb C F

Bbsus2×13411
x13311
Bbsus26123411
68(10)(10)66

Fsus2: F G C

Fsus2○T3412
133011
Fsus23××1341
xx3563

Scales to play over Csus2

Each of these scales, started on C, holds every note of the chord:

More chord types