Sus2 and Sus4 Chords on Guitar: What They Are and How to Play Them
Sus2 and sus4 chords are neither major nor minor: they have no third, so the sound hangs and asks to resolve. They are often played on open strings and they decorate ordinary chords. Below is what they are and how to play Dsus4 and Dsus2.
What sus means
The word sus comes from suspended. In such a chord the third is replaced by a neighbouring note, so it sounds neither major nor minor. The sound is open and unstable, and after it it is usually pleasant to return to an ordinary chord.
Sus4 and sus2: the difference
The difference is one note, but they sound different:
- Sus4: the third is replaced by the fourth degree. In Dsus4 the notes are D, G, A.
- Sus2: the third is replaced by the second degree. In Dsus2 the notes are D, E, A.
- Both resolve to an ordinary chord: Dsus4 to D, and Dsus2 to D as well.
Listen to D, Dsus4, D, Dsus2
This is the most common way to use sus chords: a plain D and its suspended versions. Press Play the progression and listen to how the sound tightens and resolves.
How to make Dsus4
Put your fingers as in the diagram and strum the chord. Then switch to an ordinary D and back: that is the best way to hear the difference.
Where to use sus chords
They are added to an ordinary chord to liven up a change: instead of one D you play D, Dsus4, D. They sound good in slow songs and in fingerpicking. For the basics read how to play guitar chords and which chords to learn first.
Try it in practice
Open chord trainer