Chord Of The Week 18/10/14 - open-position sus2 chords

bigjon

Time for some maudlin sentimentality.

Formula for a sus2 chord is 1 2 (3) 5, i.e. Csus2 would be C D (E) G, which is 8 5 (2) 0 x x .

Why the bracket round the 3rd? Well it's often there in the chord progression somewhere, although if you played the third together with the rest of the notes it would be an add9 chord not a sus2. But often you need to be aware of where the 3rd is for playing the major triad after the sus2 chord, e.g. Brass In Pocket by the Pretenders goes Asus4 A Asus2 A x02230 x02220 x02200 x02220.

Here are the 5 CAGED shapes for sus2 chords, followed in brackets by their major triad equivalents.

Csus2: x3003x (C: x32010)

Asus2: x02200 (A: x02220)

Gsus2: 3002x3 (G: 320003)

Esus2: 024x00 (E: 022100)

Dsus2: xx0230 (D: xx0232)

And here's a complete list of open-position sus2 chords the only addition to the CAGED list is F!
Asus2: x02200 (A: x02220)

Csus2: x3003x (C: x32010)

Dsus2: xx0230 (D: xx0232)

Esus2: 024x00 (E: 022100)

Fsus2: 133011 (F: 133211) - play 6th string with thumb and barre strings 1&2 with index finger

Gsus2: 3002x3 (G: 320003)

bigjon

Chord of the week index updated with 63 discussions at http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/598/chord-of-the-week-index

mike_l

X3203X is a Cadd9 rather than a Csus2,

Csus2 would be

x3x03x so no E being played.

viz

Or x3001x, I quite like that one.

bigjon

mike_l said:

X3203X is a Cadd9 rather than a Csus2,

Csus2 would be

x3x03x so no E being played.

Thanks, will edit original post for posterity

mike_l

X3003X can get a bit muddy if you're using more than a slightly crunchy tone.

Hence why I prefer thex3x03x

using the bottom of my first/second finger (which ever I'm fretting the lowC with) to mute the D string. 

ThePrettyDamned

I use sus chords an awful lot - they're a great way of getting a chord that sounds different to a power chord in a song with high gain, but they still stay really clear.  Mostly easy shapes to bar chord with, too. 

In drop D, on the low strings, I bar across DAD strings, but fret 2 frtes higher on the upper D string, so for example a C Sus2 in drop D would be 10 10 12 X X X.  I think (root, fifth, second).  They sound massive with high gain, and work themselves neatly right before a 'proper' chord (for example, from C sus 2 to B flat major by moving the bar two frets down). 

Apologies if my notes are all wrong.  ^_^

mellowsun

Didn't we already cover sus2's and 5add9's recently? Worth revisiting though, some of my favourite chords are in this group, along with minor 9s