Suspended Chords
Let’s look at how to play a Gsus chord on the piano, and learn the pattern for building other sus2 and sus4 chords.
What Are Suspended Chords?
There are two main types of suspended chords: sus2 and sus4.
To build a sus2 chord, play the first, second and fifth notes of the matching major scale (learn how to build major scales here).
To build a sus4 chord, play the first, fourth and fifth notes of the matching major scale.
Suspended chords are similar to major chords, which are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale. So to build a G major chord, we’d play the first, third and fifth notes of the G major scale.
But suspended chords leave out the middle note of major chords. They replace that middle note with a different one.
For a sus2 chord, the middle note of a major chord is replaced with the second note of the matching major scale. So to build a Gsus2 chord, we’d play the first, second and fifth notes of the G major scale.
For a sus4 chord, the middle note of a major chord is replaced with the fourth note of the matching major scale. So to build a Gsus4 chord, we’d play the first, fourth and fifth notes of the G major scale.
Chord Types Printable
Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, augmented, diminished, etc.).
How to Play a Gsus2 Chord
Let’s look at how to play a Gsus2 chord. To play the Gsus2 chord, we’ll play the first, second and fifth notes of the G major scale: G – A – D.
So to play a Gsus2 chord, we’d play:
G – A – D
How to Play a Gsus4 Chord
Now let’s build a Gsus4 chord. We’ll play the first, fourth and fifth notes of the G major scale: G – C – D.
So to play a Gsus4 chord, we’d play:
G – C – D
You can use these patterns to build any sus2 and sus4 chords on the piano.
To build a sus2 chord, play the first, second and fifth notes of the matching major scale.
To build a sus4 chord, play the first, fourth and fifth notes of the matching major scale.
Sus4 chords are more common than sus2 chords, so if you see a chord written as “Gsus” without a number after it, you can assume it’s a “Gsus4” chord.
Other Chord Types
There are many other chord types you can learn. Here are some others:
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 play a Gsus chord on the piano, and you can use that pattern to build other suspended chords!
Suspended chords are really beautiful on the piano. They work well as substitutes for both major and minor chords, which provides many opportunities to incorporate them into your music!
thankyou for all your info on chords. A great review for me. . I am trying add chords for improvision. Is there a general rule for when to add sus chords
That’s a good question. I use them quite a bit as chord substitutions for major or minor chords (since the middle note that differentiates major and minor chords is omitted in a suspended chord). As far as how often to use them, it kind of depends on the mood I’m trying to create. Suspended chords work well for creating a more reflective mood, so I tend to use them more often with slower songs.
Helpful, thanks here waiting for more updates
You’re welcome!
Beautiful contrast: Gsus – G-A-D (Jesus – God)
I hadn’t thought of it like that!