As a suspended tonicC♭ major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
C♭sus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♭sus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note C♭. Its notes are C♭, D♭ and G♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Bsus2.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- Notes
- C♭ · D♭ · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · 2 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 2 · 7
- Note
- C♭
- Quality
- Suspended 2
- Symbol
- C♭sus2
C♭sus2 on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♭sus2 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♭, middle finger on D♭ and little finger on G♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♭ and G♭ are black keys and C♭ is white, the key you'd normally call B. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- D♭2
- G♭5
C♭sus2 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♭sus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
C♭ · D♭ · G♭
Try C♭sus2 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♭sus2 chord notes
Also known as Bsus2
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | D♭(Db) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♭(Gb) |
How to use the C♭sus2 chord
The C♭sus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Start at the root C♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♭, D♭ and G♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Suspended second chords are a signature sound of modern pop, worship music, ambient and post-rock. They're commonly used as colour over a root chord or as an open alternative to major.
How C♭sus2 differs from similar chords
C♭sus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike C♭ or C♭m it is neither major nor minor. It is not C♭add9, which keeps the third and adds the ninth on top. Its three notes are the same as those of the sus4 chord built on its fifth.
Where C♭sus2 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♭sus2 chord?
- The C♭sus2 chord contains C♭, D♭ and G♭ (Cb, Db and Gb in plain text).
- Is the C♭sus2 chord major or minor?
- C♭sus2 is a suspended second chord. Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- How do you play C♭sus2 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♭, D♭ and G♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard D♭ and G♭ are black keys and C♭ is white, the key you'd normally call B.
- How do you play C♭sus2 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 7: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the C♭sus2 chord?
- C♭sus2 is enharmonically equivalent to Bsus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.