Suspended

What is a Suspended arpeggio?

A suspended chord has a distinct and airy sound, often described as open and unresolved. It is a type of chord that creates a feeling of tension and anticipation, and is commonly used in pop, rock, and folk music.

It is a chord in which the third of the chord is replaced by the fourth or the second note of the scale. For example, a Csus4 chord contains the notes C, F, and G, while a Csus2 chord contains the notes C, D, and G. Suspended chords are typically denoted by the letters "sus" followed by a number indicating which note is being used in place of the third.

How is it used?

The function of a suspended chord in chord progressions is to create a feeling of tension and anticipation, which resolves to the next chord in the progression. In many cases, a suspended chord is used in place of a major or minor chord to add more interest to a chord progression. For example, a progression like C - G - Am could be changed to Csus4 - G - Asus4 to create more tension and interest.

Suspended chords can also be used to create a sense of ambiguity in a chord progression. Because the third of the chord is replaced with a fourth or second, the chord does not have a clear major or minor quality, which can create a sense of uncertainty or open-endedness.

Suspended arpeggio variations

There are only two variations of suspended arpeggios, sus2 and sus4.

To view the guitar chord shapes pick a Suspended chord type from the menu above.