G suspended second
How to play Gsus2 — Suspended second
Gsus2 (Suspended second)G · A · D
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, 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 guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Gsus2 stacks a major second (A) and a perfect fifth (D) above the root G.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Gsus2 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 8th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
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?
- The Gsus2 chord contains the notes G, A, D. It replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
- How many ways can you play Gsus2 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Gsus2 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.
- 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.