Which notes are in the Csus2 chord?

Csus2 contains the notes C, D and G. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 2 – 5.

How many ways can you play Csus2?

Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for Csus2, 2 of which are barre shapes. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.

Is the Csus2 chord hard to play?

Csus2 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

C suspended 2nd · Guitar

Csus2 Chord on Guitar

The Csus2 chord (C suspended 2nd) is built from the notes C, D and G. 2 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.

Chord diagrams

Position 1barre shape · starts at fret 3

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): fret 3 — index finger
string 4 (D): fret 5 — ring finger
string 3 (G): fret 5 — little finger
string 1 (E): fret 3 — index finger

Position 2barre shape · starts at fret 8

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): muted
string 4 (D): fret 8 — index finger
string 3 (G): fret 10 — ring finger
string 2 (B): fret 11 — little finger
string 1 (E): fret 8 — index finger

Notes in this chord

Degrees: 1 – 2 – 5

How to play

Every guitar shape for Csus2 needs a barre, and the lowest one starts at fret 3. Keep the index finger straight and as close to the fret wire as possible, and let the wrist rather than the thumb supply the pressure.

Theory behind the chord

Suspended second chords swap the third for a second, giving an open, airy sound. Guitarists often let one shape ring across several bars because it fits over both major and minor harmony. On Csus2 this structure sits on the root C, so the degrees 1 – 2 – 5 map onto C, D and G.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the Csus2 chord?: Csus2 contains the notes C, D and G. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 2 – 5.
How many ways can you play Csus2?: Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for Csus2, 2 of which are barre shapes. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.
Is the Csus2 chord hard to play?: Csus2 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

Practise Csus2 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.