Suspended chords, often called “sus chords,” are a fantastic way to enrich your guitar playing beyond basic major and minor chords. Even if the name sounds unfamiliar, you’ve definitely heard them in countless popular songs, from Queen’s energetic “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” to the nuanced textures of Led Zeppelin’s “Tangerine.” Suspended chords are incredibly versatile, adding color, movement, and a unique harmonic flavor to chord progressions, especially when you want to create variation around a single chord.
In this guide, we’ll explore the world of suspended chords on guitar. We’ll break down what they are, how they’re constructed from a music theory perspective, and most importantly, how you can use them to elevate your guitar playing and songwriting.
What Exactly Are Suspended Chords?
At their core, suspended chords are created by altering the 3rd interval of a standard major or minor chord. The defining characteristic of a suspended chord is the suspension of this 3rd, which is then replaced by either a 2nd or a 4th interval from the root note. Let’s quickly revisit the building blocks of basic chords to understand this better.
Major chords are built using three notes: the root, the major 3rd, and the perfect 5th.
Minor chords also use three notes: the root, the minor 3rd, and the perfect 5th.
Now, to create a suspended chord, we take either a major or minor chord as a starting point, and we remove that crucial 3rd interval. In its place, we insert either a 2nd interval or a 4th interval from the root. This substitution is what gives suspended chords their distinctive sound.
It’s important to remember that the 3rd interval is what determines whether a chord is major or minor. Major chords have a major 3rd, and minor chords have a minor 3rd. By removing this 3rd, suspended chords lose that major or minor quality. They exist in a sort of harmonic limbo, creating a sense of anticipation or unresolved tension. How these chords function musically depends heavily on the surrounding chord progression. Generally, a sus4 chord often creates a feeling of wanting to resolve downwards to a major or minor chord, while a sus2 chord tends to suggest an upward resolution.
Decoding Sus Chord Notation
When you encounter suspended chords in written music, they are typically notated using the abbreviation “sus” placed after the root note name of the chord. To differentiate between the two types of suspended chords, we use specific notations:
-
Sus2 Chords: These are indicated by “sus2” after the root note. Examples include:
- Gsus2
- Csus2
- Dsus2
-
Sus4 Chords: These can be written in two ways: either “sus4” or simply “sus”. When you see “sus” without a number, it almost always refers to a sus4 chord. Examples include:
- Gsus4 or Gsus
- Csus4 or Csus
- Dsus4 or Dsus
Understanding this notation is key to correctly interpreting chord charts and sheet music that incorporate suspended chords.
Essential Sus2 and Sus4 Guitar Chords in Open Position
Certain suspended chords appear more frequently in guitar music, particularly those built around common open chord shapes. Open chord shapes are popular because they are generally easier to play, especially for beginner and intermediate guitarists. The following suspended chords are not only easy to play but also provide a simple yet effective way to embellish basic open chords and add harmonic interest to your playing.
Below are chord diagrams illustrating some of the most commonly used suspended chords in the open position. These are great starting points for incorporating sus chords into your guitar vocabulary.
Movable Sus2 and Sus4 Chord Shapes Across the Fretboard
Building upon the open position sus chords, we can leverage the shapes derived from the CAGED system to create movable suspended chord forms. Specifically, the E form, G form, A form, and D form chords from the CAGED system provide excellent frameworks for constructing sus2 and sus4 chords that you can play anywhere on the guitar neck.
Movable Sus Chords from E & G Forms
The G form barre chord shape readily transforms into a movable sus2 chord shape. Similarly, the E form barre chord shape gives us a versatile movable sus4 chord.
The sus4 chord shape, derived from the E form, can be fretted just like a standard barre chord, making it relatively straightforward to play and move around the neck.
Movable Sus Chords from A Form
The A form barre chord also provides two useful movable suspended chord shapes: both sus2 and sus4 variations. Both of these A form sus chords can be played as barre chords, offering flexibility and ease of movement up and down the fretboard.
Movable Sus Chords from D Form
The D form chord shape also yields movable suspended chord shapes, expanding your options for playing sus chords in different positions on the guitar neck.
By understanding these movable shapes, you can apply suspended chords in various keys and positions, opening up a wider range of harmonic possibilities in your guitar playing.
Creative Ways to Use Suspended Chords in Music
Suspended chords are remarkably flexible and can be used in a variety of musical contexts. Let’s explore some practical examples to spark your creativity and give you ideas on how to incorporate sus chords into your own playing.
Creating Harmonic Movement Around a Single Root Chord
One of the most effective and common uses of suspended chords is to create harmonic movement and interest around a single root note. This technique is perfect for riffs, intros, and vamps where you want to avoid static harmony and add a touch of dynamic variation. Think of it as “decorating” a chord with its suspended variations.
A classic example of this is in Queen’s hit song “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.”
In the intro, you immediately hear a lively back-and-forth interplay between a D major chord and a Dsus4 chord. If the intro consisted of just a plain D chord strummed with the same rhythm, it would sound much less engaging and energetic. The Dsus4 adds a crucial element of harmonic interest and rhythmic drive.
Listen to how effectively Queen uses this technique in the intro riff: Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” D/Dsus4 riff
Led Zeppelin, masters of guitar textures, also utilized suspended chords to create movement around a root chord in “Tangerine.” The opening riff beautifully employs both sus2 and sus4 chords to create a captivating harmonic motion around an Am chord, which then gracefully resolves to a G major chord.
Listen to the opening riff and notice the subtle yet impactful use of sus chords: Led Zeppelin – “Tangerine” Am/Asus4/Asus2 riff
You can hear this technique again later in “Tangerine,” on the D chord at the end of the opening riff and just before the song transitions into the chorus. This repeated use reinforces the effectiveness of sus chords in creating movement and anticipation.
Listen to how Led Zeppelin uses D, Dsus2, and Dsus4 to create harmonic color in this section: Led Zeppelin – “Tangerine” D/Dsus4/Dsus2 riff
Integrating Suspended Chords into Chord Progressions
Suspended chords are not limited to creating movement around a single chord; they can also be seamlessly integrated into broader chord progressions, functioning much like major or minor chords within a song’s structure.
Consider a simple chord progression intended for a chorus, for example: A major – B major – C# minor.
A – B – C#m Chord Progression
Now, let’s experiment by substituting a Bsus2 chord in place of the B major chord. This substitution yields the following progression: A major – Bsus2 – C# minor.
A – Bsus2 – C#m Chord Progression
This modified progression often works just as effectively, and in many cases, even better than the original. The Bsus2 chord adds a touch of harmonic interest and a slightly different emotional flavor compared to the standard B major.
However, it’s important to note that suspended chords are not universally interchangeable with every major or minor chord in every progression. When you remove the 3rd and replace it with a 2nd or 4th, the resulting notes may not always fit harmonically within the diatonic framework of a particular key. Therefore, while suspended chords are versatile, they might not be suitable substitutions in every single instance. Experimentation and careful listening are key to determining where they work best.
Conclusion: Unleash the Expressiveness of Sus Chords
Suspended chords are powerful tools for guitarists looking to add depth, color, and movement to their playing. Remember, suspended chords are defined by the replacement of the 3rd interval with either a 2nd (sus2) or a 4th (sus4). This simple alteration creates chords that are neither strictly major nor minor, giving them a unique sonic character. Sus2 chords often imply an upward resolution, while sus4 chords tend to resolve downwards, adding a sense of harmonic direction.
By incorporating suspended chords, you can breathe new life into chord progressions, create captivating riffs, and add a touch of sophistication to your guitar arrangements. Experiment with the open and movable shapes we’ve explored, and listen closely to how sus chords can enhance your musical ideas. Start using suspended chords to inject movement, emotion, and harmonic intrigue into your guitar playing today!
