LEARN MORE …and how to use them
SUS CHORDS
Introduce an airy, floating quality to your progressions with this special ‘neither major nor minor’ type of chord
YOU KNOW IT FROM…
The Who: Pinball Wizard Bryan Adams: Summer Of ’69 Stereophonics: Have A Nice Day
HOW IT WORKS…
There are two main types of sus (or ‘suspended’) chord: the sus2 and the sus4. Each of these is a variation on a basic major chord – so, where a major chord uses the first, third and fifth notes of the major scale, a sus chord replaces the third with either the second (sus2) or fourth (sus4) notes.
WHEN TO USE IT…
1 Add movement to a major or minor chord Sus chords are most often heard mixed in around a major or minor chord such as in Led Zeppelin’s Tangerine, which jams around Am, Asus4 and Asus2 chords.
2 Emphasise a chord change A simple chord change such as A to E can be enhanced with a sus4 chord – simply play A-Esus4-E. It’s used especially in hymns, but also extensively throughout rock, pop and folk.
SUS CHORDS ARE MOST OFTEN HEARD MIXED IN AROUND A MAJOR OR MINOR
LEARNING SUS CHORDS
Most of these shapes are based on the open E, A and D chords you probably already know. In
