D suspended second
How to play Dsus2 — Suspended second
Dsus2 (Suspended second)D · E · A
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
D suspended second — notes and structure
The Dsus2 chord replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
The Dsus2 suspended second consists of the notes D, E, A. 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 guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Dsus2 stacks a major second (E) and a perfect fifth (A) above the root D.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Dsus2 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 12th fret. None of them need a barre.
What key is Dsus2 in?
Every note of Dsus2 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 II chord
- G major — the V chord
- F major — the VI chord
- D major — the I chord
Chords that go with Dsus2
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Dsus2 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the D suspended second chord?
- The Dsus2 chord contains the notes D, E, A. It replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
- How many ways can you play Dsus2 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Dsus2 a hard chord to play?
- It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.
- What key does Dsus2 belong to?
- Dsus2 fits C major (where it is the II chord), G major (where it is the V chord), F major (where it is the VI chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.