Play Csus23 shapes
Choose a root note
17 diagrams · 17 playable
Play C#sus22 shapes
Play Dbsus22 shapes
Play Dsus23 shapes
Play D#sus22 shapes
Play Ebsus22 shapes
Play Esus23 shapes
Play Fsus23 shapes
Play F#sus22 shapes
Play Gbsus22 shapes
Play Gsus23 shapes
Play G#sus22 shapes
Play Absus22 shapes
Play Asus23 shapes
Play A#sus22 shapes
Play Bbsus22 shapes
Play Bsus22 shapes
Anatomy
Sus2 Chord Formula
The 3 scale degrees that form every sus2 chord — in any key.
I
Root0 st
II
Major 2nd+2 st
V
Perfect 5th+7 st
A sus2 chord is a major (or minor) triad with the 3rd removed and replaced by the 2nd. "Sus" is short for suspended — the 3rd that normally decides whether a chord sounds happy (major) or sad (minor) is suspended, so a sus2 sounds neither. With the 3rd gone and the 2nd ringing a whole step above the root, the chord takes on an open, airy, slightly unresolved quality that wants to resolve back to the plain major or minor chord.
Applied to C: C (root) – D (major 2nd) – G (perfect 5th). Applied to D: D – E – A. Applied to A: A – B – E.
About this tool
About Sus2 Chords on Guitar
The suspended 2nd chord — written "sus2" — is a three-note chord built from the root, the major 2nd, and the perfect 5th (formula 1 – 2 – 5). Because it has no 3rd, it is neither major nor minor: it sits in an open, ambiguous space that sounds bright and ringing without committing to a mood. Sus2 chords are everywhere in folk, rock, and pop guitar, where the open Dsus2, Asus2, and Esus2 shapes add shimmer to a strummed progression. The classic move is to hammer between a major chord and its sus2 — Riffs like the intro to many acoustic songs lean on exactly this tension and release. Every sus2 here is fully moveable as an A-shape barre, so once you know one shape you can play all 12.
- 01Built from 3 notes: root, major 2nd, perfect 5th (formula 1 – 2 – 5)
- 02No 3rd — neither major nor minor, so it sounds open and unresolved
- 03Open Dsus2 (xx0230), Asus2 (x02200), and Esus2 are folk and rock staples
- 04Resolves beautifully back to the plain major or minor chord of the same root
- 05The A-shape barre form is fully moveable to all 12 roots
- 06Written with "sus2" after the root letter: Csus2, Dsus2, Asus2
- 07Distinct from sus4 (1 – 4 – 5, which suspends up to the 4th) and add9 (a full major triad with the 9th added on top)
Questions