Sus2 or Sus4 chords: Learn them and Apply them to your Playing.
I would like us to talk about what we call Sus2 or Sus4 chords. Never underestimate the power of the Suspended chord.
What then is a Suspended Chord?
A suspended chord is simply replacing the 3rd of mostly a major chord with another note which will either be the 2 or 4 of the scale of the root of the chord.
Example 1:
The CM chord has C+E+G. Now you can replace the E with Either D which is the 2 of the CM scale or F which is the 4 of the CM scale. So instead of C+E+G, you’ll have C+D+G and C+F+G.
Example 2:
The FM chord has FAC. You can replace the 3rd which is A with either G which is the 2 of FM scale or Bb which is the 4 which is the 4 of FM scale.
Tonic solfa of “woship rise” by Travis Greene
Now here are all possible Suspended Chords in a Major Key using the key of C:
1. C sus2 CDG, C sus4 CFG
2. D sus2 DEA, D Sus4 DGA
3. E sus2 EF#B, E sus4 EAB
4. F sus2 FGC, F Sus4 FBbC
5. G Sus2 GAD, G Sus4 GCD
6. A Sus2 ABE, A Sus4 ADE
7. The B Sus chords will be omitted here because most of the notes are outside the CM key or scale.
But, here is what the intermediate and pros like to do; they like to double the note at the top. So your chords would look like
1. C sus2 GCDG, C sus4 CFGC
2. D sus2 ADEA, D Sus4 DGAD
3. E sus2 BEF#B, E sus4 EABA
4. F sus2 CFGC, F Sus4 FBbCF
5. G Sus2 DGAD, G Sus4 GCDG
6. A Sus2 EABE, A Sus4 ADEA
Look at it one way and you have a Sus4 chord. Look at another way and you have a Sus2 chord.
Lesson over for today!