Sus 2 and Sus 4 Chords for Guitar

If you've ever found yourself searching for a way to harmonically spice up your folk and pop based tunes then check out Sus2 and Sus4 chords. They are versatile, easy to play, and harmonically satisfying.


What are Sus2 and Sus4 Chords?

The sus stands for a suspension. The formula for a sus2 is [1 2 5] and the formula for the sus4 is [1 4 5]. Notice that neither chord contains the 3rd, that's because it's replaced by the 2nd (sus2) or the 4th (sus4).

Playing Sus Chords on the Guitar

The easiest way to learn sus voicings is by altering your triad voicings. For a usesful reference sheet on triads visit my post on triads.

All you need to do is find the 3rd of your chord voicing and replace it with either the 2nd or the 4th, depending on which sus voicing you are creating. That's all there is to it!

Sus Voicings Handout-click to download

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