How to Play Gsus2 Chord on Guitar

In today's lesson, we'll go over 3 distinct ways to play the G suspended second chord, or Gsus2 for short. 

We'll discover common positions, voicings, and recommend finger placements, each with its chord diagram. Later in this article, we'll also discuss chord theory, how it gets its name, and how to use it.

Gsus2 Chord Voicing 1

Place your:

  • First finger on the fifth string, 10th fret
  • Third finger on fourth string, 12th fret
  • Fourth finger on third string, 12th fret
  • Barre across strings 1 -5 while you strum from the 5th string down
gsus2 position 1

Gsus2 Chord Voicing 2 

gsus2 guitar chord voicing 2

Place your:

  • Index finger on the fourth string, 5th fret
  • Ring finger on the third string, 7th fret 
  • Pinky finger on the second string, 8th fret
  • Barre using your index finger across strings 1-4 while you strum from the 4th string down

Gsus2 Chord Voicing 3 

This last voicing we are going to learn is a bit tricky and will require some practice and perfect technique as your fingers will really have to stretch. 

To play, place your:

  • First finger on the 6th (low e) string, third fret
  • Second finger on the fifth string, 5th fret
  • Fourth finger on the fourth string, 7th fret

Fun fact: I learned this chord by learning the solo to the song "I Remember You" by Skid Row as a kid. This song is in the key of G and uses the Gsus2 chord played as an arpeggio (one note at a time) at the beginning of the solo. 🤘🤘

gsus open voicing 3 chord diagram

Need help speeding up your chords transitions?
Get my free PDF download and video training and solve this once and for all!


Beginner

How to speed up your chord changes in less than 30 days

Gsus2 Guitar Chord Theory

Now, let’s break down the theory of the Gsus2 chord so you can better understand how to use it.

The G suspended second chord is built from the C major scale: G A B C D E F#

To understand the chord formula, you need to understand "scale degrees," which is simply numbering the notes of a scale starting with the root note. 

Often, music teachers reference piano note names due to the simplicity of the layout of a piano for scales, but I think the illustration below will do: 

1     2     3   4    5   6   7
G    A   B   C   D
   E   F#

The Gsus2 is Neither A Major Nor A Minor Chord

In music theory, the 3rd scale degree determines if a chord is major or minor, and because the 3rd scale degree is not part of this chord's formula, it's simply not a major nor minor chord.

For a G suspended second chord, we use the 1 2 5 notes of the scale, which are notes G A D. You must have these notes (no more, no less) to make a Gsus2 chord. 

Side note: I don't want to get too deep into the theory, but sometimes you'll hear the 2 referred to as a major second in reference to the intervals. This is getting a little too deep into music theory and would require a whole other article, so we'll skip this for now.  

How To Use A Suspended Second Chord

As already mentioned, a suspended second chord is neither major nor minor - it's almost like it's "SUSPENDED" and doesn't know where to go.

It's used to get a bit more mileage out of the chord before there is movement. This means that you can bounce around on the chord before you move to another chord. For example, you can play a
Gm to Gsus2 or G major to Gsus2 to keep the listener entertained a little longer before you move to another chord in the key. 

Using the Gsus2 Chord in Chord Progressions:

You can also use these guitar chords for voice leading to help the music flow a bit more naturally. For example, you played a chord progression using Gsus2 - D major. This would flow well because Gsus2 uses notes G A D, and D major uses D A F#. Now, both chords share at least one note, and when this happens, we say they have a common tone or common tones if it’s multiple. 

If you are playing in the key of G minor, go back and forth between Gm and Gsus2 a few times, then play a D major. (That will sound sick). If you are playing in the key of G major, go back and forth between the G major chord and Gsus2 a few times, then play an Am


It's super easy and sounds great!

Now you know a few ways to play the Gsus2 chord and understand some Gsus2 chord theory!

If you need help understanding keys and more in-depth theory, inside the Guitar GPS Method, I'll systematically build your skills, knowledge, and creativity in an easy to follow leveled system of gamified courses and popular songs. 

Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share!

>