G suspended second
How to play Gsus2 — Suspended second
Gsus2 (Suspended second)G · A · D
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
G suspended second — notes and structure
The Gsus2 chord replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
The Gsus2 suspended second consists of the notes G, A, D. Its interval structure is R–2–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Gsus2 stacks a major second (A) and a perfect fifth (D) above the root G.
To play Gsus2, press the keys G, A, D together — the root G is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Gsus2 in?
Every note of Gsus2 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- C major — the V chord
- G major — the I chord
- F major — the II chord
- D major — the IV chord
Chords that go with Gsus2
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Gsus2 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the G suspended second chord on piano?
- The Gsus2 chord is made of the notes G, A, D. It replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
- How do you play G suspended second on the piano?
- Press G, A, D at the same time, with the root G as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the suspended second chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–2–5 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does Gsus2 belong to?
- Gsus2 fits C major (where it is the V chord), G major (where it is the I chord), F major (where it is the II chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.