You have probably run across “sus” chords in the songs you find online or in books. They’re relatively common chords, so if you’ve been postponing learning about them, you might want to set aside a few minutes to understand them and learn how to play them.
The term “suspended” actually describes the sound of these chords. The 3rd of the chord, which determines the quality of the chord, will be replaced – usually temporarily – with either the 4th (sus 4) or the 2nd (sus 2). The resulting sound evokes a feeling of suspension or a floating sensation, as if the chord needs to then settle into a more stable sound. In fact, the chord usually will resolve, by moving to a triad, as in the following progressions:
D sus4, D
G sus2, G
or by moving to the 7th chord, as in the following examples:
D7 sus4, D7
G7 sus2, G7
Understanding how these chords are constructed will allow you to discover ways to form them on the fretboard. Start by playing a D sus4, which requires you to replace the F# (the 3rd of the chord), with the note G (the 4th). This is easy to do in a first position D chord, as the only F# occurs on the first string. Simply make the D chord in your usual way and then use your fourth finger to play the third fret of the first string, which is a G. You can do something similar with the first position A chord: place your fourth finger on the third fret of the second string to get the note 4th, which in the case of the A chord is the note D.
Because the most common suspended chord is the sus4, you’ll often see the chord symbol written simply as “sus,” which refers to a triad with a suspended fourth or “sus7,” which means a dominant 7 chord with a suspended fourth. The Dsus7 would be spelled D(1) G(4) A(5) C(7).
If the explanations and chord spellings in this lesson seem challenging to you, you probably need to brush up on basic chord spelling. The best way to really remember chord theory is to study Chapter 7 in A Guitar Player’s Guide to Music Theory and then repeatedly do the worksheets provided.