C♯sus2: C♯/D♭ 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♯	black	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

E Major (vi)
B Major (ii)
F# Major (V)
Db Major (I)
Ab Major (IV)
C# Minor (i)
G# Minor (iv)
F Minor (VI)

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:

A♭ 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 is the C# piano chord?

The C# piano chord (written C♯ Suspended 2nd) uses the same keys: C♯ – D♯ – G♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.

What notes are in the C# Suspended 2nd chord?

The C# Suspended 2nd chord (C#sus2) contains: C# (root), D# (major 2nd), and G# (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 C# Suspended 2nd differ from C# Major or C# Minor?

Both C# Major and C# Minor have a third (E or Eb for C-based chords). C# Suspended 2nd replaces that third with a major 2nd (D#). 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 D# to the major or minor third). In pop music, suspended chords often remain unresolved for their pleasant, neutral sound.

How is C# 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. C#sus2 works before or after a C# 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 C# Suspended 2nd and C# Major together?

Yes: alternating between C#sus2 and C# Major is a very common pop technique. The movement C#–D#–G# → C#–(major 3rd)–G# 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♯3 G♯3	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	D♯3 G♯3 C♯4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G♯3 C♯4 D♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	C♯2 G♯2 D♯3	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♯3	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♯3, G♯3	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: C♯sus2/D♯	D♯	D♯3, G♯3, C♯4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: C♯sus2/G♯	G♯	G♯3, C♯4, D♯4	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	49	138.59 Hz
D♯3	51	155.56 Hz
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {1, 3, 8}
Normal order: [1, 3, 8]
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