Suspended chord

suspended fourth chord
Component intervals from root
perfect fifth
perfect fourth
root
Tuning
6:8:9
Forte no. / Complement
3-9 / 9-9
suspended second chord
Component intervals from root
perfect fifth
major second
root
Tuning
8:9:12
Forte no. / Complement
3-9 / 9-9

A suspended chord (or sus chord) is a musical chord in which the (major or minor) third is omitted and replaced with a perfect fourth or a major second.[1] The lack of a minor or a major third in the chord creates an open sound, while the dissonance between the fourth and fifth or second and root creates tension. When using popular-music symbols, they are indicated by the symbols "sus4" and "sus2".[2] For example, the suspended fourth and second chords built on C (C–E–G), written as Csus4 and Csus2, have pitches C–F-G and C–D-G, respectively.

{ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \relative c' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \key c \major <c f g>1 <c d g>1 } }

Suspended fourth and second chords can be represented by the integer notation {0, 5, 7} and {0, 2, 7}, respectively.

  1. ^ Ellis, Andy (October 2006). "EZ Street: Sus-Chord Mojo". Guitar Player.
  2. ^ Benward & Saker (2003), p. 77.[incomplete short citation]