As a suspended tonicC major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
Csus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Csus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, D and G.
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
- Csus2
Csus2 on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Csus2 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 every note of Csus2 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- D2
- G5
Csus2 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Csus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 8: 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 Csus2 on the virtual piano
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Csus2 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | D | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G |
How to use the Csus2 chord
The Csus2 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 Csus2 differs from similar chords
Csus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike C or Cm it is neither major nor minor. It is not Cadd9, 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 Csus2 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 Csus2 chord?
- The Csus2 chord contains C, D and G.
- Is the Csus2 chord major or minor?
- Csus2 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 Csus2 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 every note of Csus2 is a white key.
- How do you play Csus2 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 8: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What chords work well with Csus2?
- Csus2 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.