A sus chord replaces the 3rd of a chord with either the 2nd (sus2) or the 4th (sus4). No 3rd means no major-or-minor identity; the chord feels open and unresolved.
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A longer write-up with every detail, drill, and common pitfall.
D family
Dsus2: open D, lift the middle finger off the high E. Now strum: D-A-D-E. Hollow, ringing.
Dsus4: open D, add the pinky to the 3rd fret of the high E. Now strum: D-A-D-G. Tense, wants to resolve down to D.
Famous use: the intro to Pinball Wizard by The Who is just D → Dsus4 → Dsus2 → D, looped.
A family
Asus2: open A, with index on 2nd fret D, middle on 2nd fret G, leave B and high E open. Big, open, ringing.
Asus4: open A, with index on 2nd fret D, middle on 2nd fret G, ring on 3rd fret B. Pulled higher, wants to resolve to A.
Read the full guide
A longer write-up with every detail, drill, and common pitfall.
The acoustic trick
Acoustic guitarists alternate between a chord and its sus variant constantly. Holding D? Add and lift the pinky between strums. Now D doesn't just sit there; it moves.
80 BPM. Strum D for two beats, Dsus4 for one, Dsus2 for one. Loop. You'll recognize that pattern from a thousand pop ballads.
In song writing
Replace a plain G with Gsus4 → G to add momentum. Replace a plain Em with Em → Esus2 → Em to add color. The 3rd of a chord is its identity; lifting it temporarily makes the chord want something. That want is what makes music feel like it's going somewhere.
Next: Drop D tuning. Where the low string drops a whole step.