Suspended chords and inversions
Subtly altering major chords
01 Dsus2
In a sus 2 chord you replace the third of a major or minor chord with a second,
so in D’s case you replace the F# with an E. The second inversion is also the root
position of Asus4.03 Asus2
Following the same rules we have applied previously, the C# of the A major triad
is replaced with a B natural for the sus 2. The second inversion is identical to an
Esus4 chord in root position.02 Dsus4
To get a sus4 chord we need to change the major or minor chord’s third with a
perfect fourth. So for D we replace the F# with a G to get a sus4 triad of D, G, and
A. You can create a simple melody using E, F# and G while still playing D and A!04 Fsus4
Proving that suspended chords don’t just have to be on the white keys, Fsus4
needs a B replacing the A of its major triad. Its first inversion (B , C, F) is the
same as B sus 2 in root position.