Suspended Chords
The suspended chord (sometimes called a suspended 4th chord) is constructed from the major scale using the first (1), fourth (4), and fifth (5) notes of the scale. The symbol for a suspended chord is the letters sus (or sus4), placed after the letter name of the chord.
There are two inversions for each suspended chord which you should practice and become familiar with, using both left and right hands. The suspended chord is a major chord with the third substituted for the fourth. The four chord shapes given in the diagrams are in root position.
D Suspended - Root Position
A Suspended - Root Position
G Suspended - Root Position
F Suspended - Root Position
Unlike the V7th chord, which leads back (resolves) to the I chord (e.g., in the key of C, G7 resolves back to C), the suspended chord resolves to the same major chord it is derived from. E.g., Gsus resolves to G, Dsus resolves to D, regardless of the key of the chord progression. Sus chords are useful for making accompaniment more interesting when there are long passages of a song using one chord. E.g., instead of playing a C chord for eight bars, you could add a few Csus chords.
The following exercise uses the previous four sus chords. For a full listing of suspended chords, see the chord chart section.
The following exercise uses the Esus chord. See the chord chart section. The bass accompaniment features a see-saw motion using octaves.
