Suspended Chords

Let’s look at how to play an E flat suspended chord on the piano. We’ll learn the pattern for building both sus2 and sus4 chords.

What Are Suspended Chords?

There are two main types of suspended chords: sus2 and sus4.

Sus2 chords are built using the first, second and fifth notes of the matching major scale.

Sus4 chords are built using the first, fourth and fifth notes of the matching major scale.

Suspended chords are similar to major chords. We can build a major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale. But suspended chords change the middle note. Instead of using the third note of the matching major scale for the middle note of the chord, a sus2 chord uses the second note of the scale, and a sus4 chord uses the fourth note of the scale.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 35-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note and type.

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How to Play an E Flat Suspended 2 Chord on the Piano

So to build an E flat suspended 2 chord on the piano, we’ll play the first, second and fifth notes of the E flat major scale:

E♭ – F – B♭

We can use this pattern to build any other suspended second chord, by playing the first, second and fifth notes of the matching major scale!

How to Play an E Flat Suspended 4 Chord

Now let’s build an E flat suspended 4 chord. We can build this chord using the first, fourth and fifth notes of the E flat major scale:

E♭ – A♭ – B♭

We can use this pattern to build any other suspended fourth chord, using the first, fourth and fifth notes of the matching major scale.

If you see a chord labeled E♭sus, without a number after it, it usually indicates a sus4 chord.

Other Chord Types

Some of the other chord types you can learn are:

Major
Minor
Augmented
Diminished
Second
Minor Second
Fifth
Sixth
Minor Sixth
Seventh
Minor Seventh
Major Seventh
Ninth
Minor Ninth
Major Ninth

Conclusion

Now you know how to build an E flat suspended 2 chord, and an E flat suspended 4 chord! You can also use these patterns to build any other suspended 2 or suspended 4 chords!

It’s fun to use suspended chords at the piano as chord substitutions for major or minor chords since they leave out the middle note.

Suspended chords may sound like they “leave you hanging”, and you may want to resolve them back to the matching major or minor chord, but you don’t have to. I like to leave them suspended many times because they sound so nice.

I hope you enjoy playing these beautiful chords!