Gsus2 is a G chord with its third taken out and an A put in its place. Its notes are G, A and D. Without the B, the chord stops sounding happy or sad: it hangs in the air. That is the whole point of it, and it is why you will mostly play it next to a plain G, as a color that comes and goes.
Gsus2 chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: G suspended second
- Symbol: Gsus2
- Notes: G, A, D
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gsus2, four strings | xx0233 | D A D G | Three fingers, no bass note to aim for. Complete, but D is the lowest note, so it sounds light. |
| Gsus2, open | 3x0233 | G D A D G | The standard Gsus2: G in the bass, the fifth string muted by the finger on the low E. |
| Gsus2, closed | 3x5x35 | G G D A | No open strings, so it moves: the same grip two frets up is Asus2. Two muted strings to manage. |
| Gsus2, tenth fret | x 10 12 12 10 10 | G D G A D | The open Asus2 shape barred at fret 10: first finger across, third and fourth fingers on the fourth and third strings at fret 12. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Gsus2 on the neck: every G, A, D
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Gsus2: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Gsus2.
How to play Gsus2, step by step
1. Start on four strings: xx0233
First finger on the third string (G) at fret 2. Third finger on the second string (B) at fret 3, fourth finger on the high E at fret 3. Strum from the open D string down. That is the whole chord, with D as its lowest note.
2. Add the G bass: 3x0233
Keep the three fingers where they are and put the second finger on the low E at fret 3. Let its pad lean lightly on the fifth string so the A string cannot ring. Now G is in the bass and the chord sounds grounded. If you play G as 320033 (second finger on the low E, first on the A string, third and fourth on top), only one finger moves: the first, from the A string to fret 2 of the G string.
3. Check every string
Pick the strings one by one. The open D must ring, and so must the A on the third string at fret 2: it is the note that makes the chord a sus2. If it dies, the first finger is lying flat and touching the open D. Arch it.
G, Gsus2, Gsus4: one note changes
The quickest way to hear what sus2 means is to compare it with its neighbors. Only one note moves, the one that sits on the third.
| Chord | Shape | Notes | What you hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | 320003 | G, B, D | Major, settled |
| Gsus2 | 3x0233 | G, A, D | Open, floating |
| Gsus4 | 3x0013 | G, C, D | Tense, wants to fall back to G |
| Gm | 355333 | G, Bb, D | Minor, dark |
Sus4 pulls hard toward the major chord; sus2 pulls much less. You can sit on a Gsus2 for a whole bar and it still sounds finished, which is not really true of Gsus4. The G chord and the Gsus4 chord have their own pages.
Where to use it
With no third, a suspended chord does not point to a single key. In practice, Gsus2 lives wherever G lives, in the keys of G, C and D, as a way to make a long G chord move.
- G, Gsus2, G: strum two beats of each. The first finger is the only one that moves, onto the G string and off again.
- G, Gsus2, C, D: the sus2 adds a step in the middle of the most common folk loop without changing its harmony.
- Gsus2, Gsus4, G: you hear the second, then the fourth, then the third they were both standing in for. Played slowly, it is a small melody in itself.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play a Gsus2 chord on guitar?
What notes are in Gsus2?
Is Gsus2 major or minor?
What is the difference between Gsus2 and Gadd9?
Why does my Gsus2 sound muddy?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.