But for C, you need to mute your E strings (6th and 1st). This same method works when adding the 2nd or 4th to your C and G chords. To turn it into A4, raise it one half tone to the 3rd fret of the 2nd string. To turn your A into A2, lower the 3rd one whole tone by lifting your ring finger and playing the open 2nd string. Start with an open 5th (A) string and your fingers on the 2nd fret of the 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings. We looked at D chord charts in the last section, so let’s move on to A. When a chord voicing has another root note at a higher octave, you can also raise it by one whole tone to fret your 2nd scale degree. Then, you can raise or lower one finger to fret the right note. The easiest way to fret sus chords is to think about where your 3rds are in your majors and minor triads. They leave listeners wondering how (and when) those 2nd and 4ths notes will be resolved… Basic Shapes So, you can use it in different progressions without unleashing a cacophony of notes.īecause these chords sound unfinished, they also create movement.

It’s pleasantly dissonant, but not as startling as a diminished or augmented chord. When you add the 2nd or 4th scale degree, it creates a neutral, uncertain sound that’s neither major or minor. This happens when you carry over a note from one chord into the next chord, before resolving to a consonant interval like a unison or perfect 5th.įor modern guitarists, “sus” takes on a new meaning as a single chord that creates suspense. One way to create dissonance (musical tension) between these lines is to add suspension. Sus is short for “ suspended.” It was originally a term borrowed from counterpoint –– when you compare the rhythms and pitches between two melody lines. The 2nd scale degree (A) forms the bass note, followed by the 5th (D) and the root (G). This group of notes could also be the 2nd inversion of G2, belonging to the G major scale – G A B C D E F♯ G. When you mute the 4th string, the chord is in 1st inversion The bass note is the 5th scale degree (A), followed by the root (D) and 4th (G). This is because every sus2 is an inversion of a different sus4 and vice versa. On a final note, when you compare guitar tabs, you might notice that a chord appears in one as a 2 voicing and the other as a 4 of an entirely different note. It just doesn’t sound as “perfect” as the 4th. It’s not that the major 2nd interval doesn’t sound good. This is because the perfect 4th (the distance between the root and 4th scale degree) is the most consonant (pleasant sounding) interval after the unison, octave and perfect 5th. If you find a sus with no number, this refers to the sus4, which is more common than the 2. This way, the sus note still rings loud and clear. When they want a fuller sound, jazz guitarists re-add the 3rd scale degree, but at a higher octave. The open voicings for D2 (left) and D4 (right)

Meanwhile, D4 is a D chord with the natural 3rd raised one half tone to the 4th (G). For example, D2 is just a Dm with the flat 3rd lowered another half tone to the 2nd (E). But they replace the 3rd with either the 2nd or the 4th scale degree. Finally, the 3rd scale degree is on the 1st (high E) string The root is on the open 4th (D) string and fretted 2nd (B) string. When you play open D (left) and Dm (right), the 5th scale degree is on the 3rd (G) string. This is why a minor chord is usually fretted the same way as a major chord, but with the 3rd note lowered by one half tone. It has the same root and 5th as the D major, but a flat 3rd (F) instead of a natural 3rd (F♯). Meanwhile, a D minor chord is built on the D natural minor scale – D E F G A B♭ C D. It contains the notes D (root), F♯ (3rd) and A (5th). Major and minor chords consist of three notes:įor example, a D chord is built from the D major scale – D E F♯ G A B C♯ D.

But it has a big effect on the feel of a progression. The good news is that there’s only one note difference between them and your major or minor voicings. At this point, you might be wondering what sus chords are.

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