The Sus-Piciously Easy Way to Liven Up Basic Chords

Ever seen a chord with a sus attached, for example, Csus2 and Csus4? When a sus chord is played, it creates either a feeling of brightness or a feeling of tension to the music.

So why sus? Sus is short for suspended. What are we suspending? Notes in the chord!

A sus chord is a major chord where certain notes are left out and replaced with others. By making this slight adjustment, the chord becomes something new. Let’s start by reviewing how a major chord is built.

Major Chord

The major chord is built by taking the first (root), third (3) and fifth (5) notes of a major scale and putting them together (Note: C major = C E G)

Which Note Is Omitted in a Suspended Chord?

It’s always the third note that’s left out in a suspended chord. Whatever number is after the abbreviated sus will be the note that replaces the third.

Sus 2

The Sus2, or suspend 2nd chord, will have the third note of the chord replaced with the second note. For example (Note: C sus2 = C D G)

Sus 4

The Sus4, or suspend 4th chord, will have the third note of the chord replaced with the fourth note. For example (Note: C sus4 = C F G)

So the next time you see a sus chord, know that someone decided to transform a major chord into something more interesting. Try to find these special chords in songs you learn every day, or get back to basics by learning how to play a song using sus chords on Fender Play. And if you're not a member of Fender Play yet, click here for a free trial.