Csus2 guitar chord

3 of 4
  • Tap a note to hear it
  • Arrows change position
  • Fingers, notes or intervals
  • Play the chord

About Csus2

Csus2 pauses before choosing major or minor. Its notes are C, D and G: occupies the place where would state a third.

That open choice has two close exits. Beside , the second sits only one fret below the minor third.

Hear the change

The 2nd rises one fret to the minor 3rd. The root and fifth stay the same.

Raise the second one fret and it becomes ; raise it two and it becomes . One held shape can therefore open into either quality.

Also written C2 or C suspended 2nd.

Csus2 guitar chord diagram: C, D, G, played x35533
Csus2 guitar chord voicing: x-3-5-5-3-3.

How to use Csus2

Voice by voice, Csus2 → . No voice moves by a semitone, and 2 notes are common to both chords. No voice has to move by a semitone, so this is a change of colour rather than a resolution.

In Csus2MovesIn C
C, the rootstays where it isC, the root
D, the secondfalls a whole toneC, the root
G, the fifthstays where it isG, the fifth

In which keys. Every note of Csus2 belongs to C major (the I), C minor (the i), D minor (the ♭VII), Eb major (the vi), E minor (the ♭VI), F major (the V), G major (the IV), G minor (the iv), A minor (the ♭III) and Bb major (the ii).

What to play over Csus2

Useful scales

  • +EA

    Contains Csus2 and adds major third and sixth.

  • +EFAB

    Contains Csus2 and adds major third, fourth, sixth and major seventh.

  • +EF#AB

    Contains Csus2 and adds major third, sharp eleventh, sixth and major seventh.

  • +EFABb

    Adds major third, fourth, sixth and flat seventh. The flat seventh pushes the sound toward a dominant chord.

  • +EF#ABb

    Adds major third, sharp eleventh, sixth and flat seventh, for a dominant sharp-eleventh color.

Every scale

Chords near Csus2

Remove a note

Change one note

Suspended and power chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
350
150

Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode