Chord · C Suspended 2nd
Csus2 Chord
Csus2 is C, D and G — open, unresolved; neither major nor minor.
Csus2 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Csus2 is made of
Csus2 (C suspended second) is built from the notes C, D, G, with the interval pattern 1, 2, 5.
Stack 1, 2 and 5 on a root of C and you get C, D and G. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a suspended second chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Dsus2 sounds like a transposed Csus2.
Suspended 2nd: Open, unresolved; neither major nor minor.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. Every tone here lands on its own letter — no accidentals needed.
Keys that contain Csus2
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 10 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on C
Same root, different colour.
The same suspended second shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Csus2
- What notes are in the Csus2 chord?
- Csus2 is made of C, D and G — the 1, 2 and 5 degrees of a suspended second chord built on C.
- What keys use the Csus2 chord?
- Every note of Csus2 belongs to 10 keys: C Major (I), F Major (V), G Major (IV), Bb Major (ii), Eb Major (vi), A Minor (III), D Minor (VII), E Minor (VI), G Minor (iv), C Minor (i). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Csus2 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Csus2 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 13 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Csus2 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.