The sus4, sus2, and add9 chords with the 6th string root.
The sus4 Chord
The sus4 chord, or suspended 4th, has the 1, 4, and 5 intervals. The 4 interval is 1/2 step higher than the 3 interval. The sound of the 4 is unresolved and sounds suspended wanting to return to a 3. This is why it is called a suspended 4 chord. Below we have two fingerings for the sus4 chord. The first fingering entails a barre with the first finger and a partial barre with the third finger. The second fingering is easier. The numbers in the diagram below represents the fingering.
The hollow note is optional.
The sus4 Arpeggio
The sus2 or add9 Chord
The sus2 or add9 Chord has the 1, 3, 5, and 9 intervals. The 2 and 9 interval are the same notes only an octave apart. Therefore, you will see the chord written both ways. They are the same chord. We have two fingerings shown below. The numbers are the fingering. The hollow note is the root and is optional.
This fingering of this sus2 has a wide span that may seem hard in the beginning but it is a beautiful chord. Any time a major is written try the sus2 for embellishment.
The sus2 Arpeggio
