Which strings do I strum for D suspended two?

4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.

What notes are in a D suspended two chord?

D, E, A. The D is the root, the note the chord is named after. There is no third, so it is neither major nor minor.

What chords go with Dsus2?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, G and A, and its relative minor, Bm. Songs move between these because they share notes.

suspended second chord

D suspended two chord on guitar

D with the thin e string left open. Airy and unresolved, and only two fingers.

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Where the fingers go

1
index finger, G string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
2
ring finger, B string, fret 3
Count from the thick string: E A D G B.
3
Leave the D, thin e strings open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
4
Strum 4 strings, from the D string down
Skip the thick E and A. They would add a note that does not belong.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in Dsus2

A chord is three or four notes played together. D suspended two is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
D	root	D string, open; B string, fret 3
E	second	thin e string, open
A	fifth	G string, fret 2

The root, D, is the note it is named after. There is no third in this chord, the note that would make it major or minor, which is why it sounds open and airy.

Where it sits on the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.

G and A are Dsus2’s neighbours. Most songs in Dsus2 use one or both.
Bm is its relative minor: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

Muting the thin e

The index finger on the G string can lean over. Curl it so the thin e rings.

Tip

D, Dsus2, D

Play them in a row. Sus chords are made to lift off a chord and come back.

Songs that use it

Intros and strumming patterns in D. Lifting the index finger on and off D.

None of the songs on the site use Dsus2 yet. It is coming with the next batch.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for D suspended two?: 4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.
What notes are in a D suspended two chord?: D, E, A. The D is the root, the note the chord is named after. There is no third, so it is neither major nor minor.
What chords go with Dsus2?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, G and A, and its relative minor, Bm. Songs move between these because they share notes.