Gsus2 Piano Chord

Gsus2 is the G suspended second chord. It has three notes: G, A and D. All three are white keys. The B that would make it G major has been replaced by A.

1G2A5DC3C4

G at the bottom, then A and D. Right hand 1-2-5, left hand 5-3-1. Every key here is white.

How to play Gsus2 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the G below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): G
  3. Index finger (2): A
  4. Little finger (5): D
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just G on its own as a bass note.

This is one of the most used sus2 chords in pop, because G is such a common key. Moving between Gsus2 and G is a single finger step.

Inversions of Gsus2

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Gsus2; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionA D G
Gsus2 piano chord diagram, first inversion, A D G
Lighter than root position and less final. A second in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionD G A
Gsus2 piano chord diagram, second inversion, D G A
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The chord sounds like G major
The middle note is A, not B. Check the middle finger has moved down one white key.
The bottom notes sound harsh
G and A are adjacent keys, and low on the keyboard that closeness turns muddy. Play the chord at or above middle C.
The chord feels cramped
The thumb and middle finger are only one key apart. Using the index finger for the A is equally correct and often more comfortable.

What makes it a Gsus2

G · A · D 1 2 5

Gsus2 is G, A and D: the root, the second and the fifth. With no third the chord is neither major nor minor.

In the key of G it works as a softer version of the home chord, and in the key of D as a suspended IV. Guitar based pop leans on it heavily, because the shape is easy on that instrument too.

Gsus2 vs G

One note. G major has B, Gsus2 has A. The move between them is a single finger.

Unlike sus4, a sus2 does not demand resolution. It can sit as the chord itself for a whole bar and sound intentional.

Questions about Gsus2

What does sus mean in Gsus2?

Suspended. The third of the chord is taken out and replaced by another note, so the chord is neither major nor minor. In Gsus2 the third is replaced by A, the second.

Which notes are in a Gsus2 chord on piano?

G, A and D.

What is the difference between Gsus2 and Gsus4?

Which note replaces the third. Gsus2 uses the second, one step above the root; Gsus4 uses the fourth, one step below the fifth. Sus2 sounds open and airy, sus4 sounds tense and wants to resolve.

Is Gsus2 major or minor?

Neither. The third is the note that decides, and a suspended chord does not have one. That is why it can sit in front of either G major or G minor.

Chords to learn next

Other G chords