Dsus2 guitar chord
An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful.
- Tap a note to hear it
- Arrows change position
- Fingers, notes or intervals
- Play the chord
About Dsus2 — open string voicings
Dsus2 is D, E and A — D with the third replaced by the second.
It sounds open, and neither major nor minor. With no third it works over either quality, which is why strummed parts lean on it.
Dsus2 notes and formula
| D | E | A |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 5 |
Suspended — it hangs until something moves.
Also written D2 or D suspended 2nd. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.
How to play Dsus2
An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. It costs no finger, so it can sound a note the closed shape has none left for: a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath.
These belong to their key rather than to a shape: they cannot be moved up the neck. D, A, G and E have many; E♭ has a handful.
Dsus2 has 6 of them, on the top four strings, the bottom four strings, the middle four strings, strings 6-4-3-2, strings 5-4-3-2-1 and strings 6-4-3-2-1, from the 2nd fret up to the 5th — every inversion the chord has: D in the bass, E in the bass and A in the bass. The one to learn first is the D shape at the 2nd fret, which is the easiest grip here.
Start with xx0230 — no barre and 2 open strings. 1 of the 9 shapes here sits in open position. 4 of the 9 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 2nd fret to the 15th.
| Frets | Where | Bass | Top | Hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xx0230 | open position | D, root position | E | 2 open strings |
| x52235 | 2nd fret | D, root position | A | all fretted |
| xx2235 | 2nd fret | E, 2nd in the bass | A | all fretted |
| x57755 | 5th fret | D, root position | A | barred |
| 10-7-7-9-10-x | 7th fret | D, root position | A | all fretted |
| x-7-7-7-10-10 | 7th fret | E, 2nd in the bass | D | barred |
| 10-x-x-9-10-10 | 9th fret | D, root position | D | barred |
| 10-12-12-x-10-12 | 10th fret | D, root position | E | barred |
| x-x-12-14-15-12 | 12th fret | D, root position | E | all fretted |
The same notes rebuilt from scratch give 50 triad voicings, each on its own page.
How to use Dsus2
Voice by voice, Dsus2 → D. No voice moves by a semitone, and 2 notes are common to both chords.
| In Dsus2 | Moves | In D |
|---|---|---|
| D, the root | stays where it is | D, the root |
| E, the second | falls a whole tone | D, the root |
| A, the fifth | stays where it is | A, the fifth |
In which keys. Every note of Dsus2 belongs to C major (the ii), D major (the I), D minor (the i), E minor (the ♭VII), F major (the vi), F# minor (the ♭VI), G major (the V), A major (the IV), A minor (the iv) and B minor (the ♭III).
What to play over Dsus2
Every note of Dsus2 is in D major pentatonic, D major, D lydian, D mixolydian and D dorian.
Chords near Dsus2
Change one note of Dsus2 and you have D (the ninth becomes a major third), Dm (the ninth becomes a minor third), Dsus4 (the ninth becomes a fourth), Dsus2sus4 (add the fourth), Dadd9 (add the major third) or Dmadd9 (add the minor third).
Dsus2 is a suspended chord — root and fifth, with a second or fourth where the third would be — or nothing at all. Suspended and power chords on every root.
On Dsus2’s sound and use this page follows Robert Rawlins & Nor Eddine Bahha, Jazzology (Hal Leonard, 2005). The shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.