C♭sus2: C♭ Suspended 2nd Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	C♭, D♭, G♭	1-3-5
Left	C♭, D♭, G♭	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	C♭	Perfect unison	0
2	D♭	Major second	2
5	G♭	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

C♭ Suspended 2nd = Root + Major 2nd + Perfect 5th = C♭, D♭, G♭

Note	Interval	Degree
C♭	Root	1
D♭	Major 2nd	2
G♭	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
C♭	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
D♭	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
G♭	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on C♭, middle finger (3) on D♭, little finger (5) on G♭.

Left hand: little finger (5) on C♭, middle finger (3) on D♭, thumb (1) on G♭.

C♭ Suspended 2nd Inversions

Root position
C♭ – D♭ – G♭
1st inversion (C♭sus2/D♭)
D♭ – G♭ – C♭
2nd inversion (C♭sus2/G♭)
G♭ – C♭ – D♭

Key Signature

A Suspended 2nd chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of C♭ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of C♭ Major:

I — C♭ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	C♭ Major	Major
2	ii	D♭ Minor	Minor
3	iii	E♭ Minor	Minor
4	IV	F♭ Major	Major
5	V	G♭ Major	Major
6	vi	A♭ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	B♭ Diminished	Diminished

Scales That Include the C♭ Suspended 2nd

D Major (vi)
A Major (ii)
E Major (V)
B Major (I)
F# Major (IV)
B Minor (i)
F# Minor (iv)
C# Minor (VII)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes C♭ – D♭ – G♭ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

F♯ Suspended 4th→

C♭ Suspended 2nd : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the C♭ Suspended 2nd chord on piano?

The C♭ Suspended 2nd chord contains the notes C♭ – D♭ – G♭. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What notes are in the Cb Suspended 2nd chord?

The Cb Suspended 2nd chord (Cbsus2) contains: Cb (root), Db (major 2nd), and Gb (perfect fifth). The major 2nd replaces the third entirely, there is no major or minor third, giving this chord its open, floating quality.

How does Cb Suspended 2nd differ from Cb Major or Cb Minor?

Both Cb Major and Cb Minor have a third (E or Eb for C-based chords). Cb Suspended 2nd replaces that third with a major 2nd (Db). This suspension creates ambiguity: the chord is neither major nor minor and has a bright, airy sound often used for colour and transition.

What does "suspended" mean in music?

"Suspended" means the third has been replaced (suspended) by another note: in this case, the 2nd degree. The suspension creates tension that traditionally resolves back to the third (moving from Db to the major or minor third). In pop music, suspended chords often remain unresolved for their pleasant, neutral sound.

How is Cb Suspended 2nd used in music?

Sus2 chords are widely used in pop, rock, and folk as colour chords that avoid defining major or minor quality. Cbsus2 works before or after a Cb Major chord in the same harmonic context, creating a shimmer effect. It also appears at phrase endings for an open, unresolved feeling.

What songs use suspended 2nd chords?

Suspended chords are everywhere in pop: Every Breath You Take (Police) uses sus chords throughout. Pinball Wizard (The Who) opens with sus4 chords. Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye) uses sus2 for its characteristically open sound. The floating quality of sus2 chords suits introspective and atmospheric music.

Can I use Cb Suspended 2nd and Cb Major together?

Yes: alternating between Cbsus2 and Cb Major is a very common pop technique. The movement Cb–Db–Gb → Cb–(major 3rd)–Gb creates a shimmer with only one note changing. This single-note movement is the basis of many recognisable piano and guitar parts.

C♭ Suspended 2nd in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	C♭3 D♭4 G♭4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	D♭4 G♭4 C♭4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G♭4 C♭4 D♭5	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	C♭2 G♭3 D♭4	14	193 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	C♭3 D♭4	2	28 mm	omits G♭	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	C♭	C♭3, D♭4, G♭4	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: C♭sus2/D♭	D♭	D♭4, G♭4, C♭4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: C♭sus2/G♭	G♭	G♭4, C♭4, D♭5	6/4	7	96 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
C♭add9	adds E♭	1 3 5 9	3
C♭	D♭ becomes E♭	1 3 5	2
C♭m	D♭ becomes E♭♭	1 ♭3 5	2
C♭sus4	D♭ becomes F♭	1 4 5	2
C♭maj7	D♭ becomes E♭, B♭	1 3 5 7	2
C♭7	D♭ becomes E♭, B♭♭	1 3 5 ♭7	2
C♭m7	D♭ becomes E♭♭, B♭♭	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
C♭mMaj7	D♭ becomes E♭♭, B♭	1 ♭3 5 7	2
C♭7sus4	D♭ becomes F♭, B♭♭	1 4 5 ♭7	2
C♭6	D♭ becomes E♭, A♭	1 3 5 6	2
C♭m6	D♭ becomes E♭♭, A♭	1 ♭3 5 6	2
C♭dim	D♭, G♭ becomes E♭♭, G♭♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C♭3	59	246.94 Hz
D♭4	61	277.18 Hz
G♭4	66	369.99 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {11, 1, 6}
Normal order: [11, 1, 6]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
C♭ to D♭	Major second	2	2
C♭ to G♭	Perfect fifth	7	5
D♭ to G♭	Perfect fourth	5	5

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a suspended 2nd applied to the root C♭, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

C♭ Suspended 2nd

Fingerings

C♭ Suspended 2nd: notes and degrees