Gsus2 G suspended second chord
- Notes
- G A D
- Formula
- 1 2 5
- Semitones
- 0 2 7 above the root
G to A is a major second (2 semitones), A to D is a perfect fourth (5 semitones). The third is replaced by the second (A), so the chord is neither major nor minor. The same three keys with D in the bass read as Dsus4.
Gsus2 on the piano
Root position from G4: G4, A4, D5. Middle C is C4.
Gsus2 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has G as its lowest note.
x 10 12 12 10 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds G3 D4 G4 A4 D5
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play suspended second chords on other roots.
Inversions of Gsus2
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | G A D | Gsus2 | |
| 1st inversion | A D G | A7sus4 (also read as Gsus2/A) | |
| 2nd inversion | D G A | Dsus4 (also read as Gsus2/D) |
Where Gsus2 fits
A sus chord has no third, so it is neither major nor minor and has no fixed place in a key. In Gsus2 the second, A, usually rises to the major or minor third or falls back to the root G; it is also often left unresolved as a colour, especially on guitar.