G♯sus2: G♯/A♭ Suspended 2nd Piano Chord

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

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

Construction

G♯ Suspended 2nd = Root + Major 2nd + Perfect 5th = G♯, A♯, D♯

Note	Interval	Degree
G♯	Root	1
A♯	Major 2nd	2
D♯	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
G♯	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
A♯	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
D♯	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

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

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

G♯ Suspended 2nd Inversions

Root position
G♯ – A♯ – D♯
1st inversion (G♯sus2/A♯)
A♯ – D♯ – G♯
2nd inversion (G♯sus2/D♯)
D♯ – G♯ – A♯

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 G♯ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of G♯ Major:

I — G♯ Major (major)

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

Scales That Include the G♯ Suspended 2nd

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

Same Notes, Other Names

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

D♯ Suspended 4th→

G♯ Suspended 2nd : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the G♯ Suspended 2nd chord on piano?

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

What is the G# piano chord?

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

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

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

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

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

Yes: alternating between G#sus2 and G# Major is a very common pop technique. The movement G#–A#–D# → G#–(major 3rd)–D# creates a shimmer with only one note changing. This single-note movement is the basis of many recognisable piano and guitar parts.

G♯ 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	G♯3 A♯3 D♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	A♯3 D♯4 G♯4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	D♯4 G♯4 A♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	G♯2 D♯3 A♯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	G♯3 A♯3	2	28 mm	omits D♯	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	G♯	G♯3, A♯3, D♯4	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: G♯sus2/A♯	A♯	A♯3, D♯4, G♯4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: G♯sus2/D♯	D♯	D♯4, G♯4, A♯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
G♯add9	adds B♯	1 3 5 9	3
G♯	A♯ becomes B♯	1 3 5	2
G♯m	A♯ becomes B	1 ♭3 5	2
G♯sus4	A♯ becomes C♯	1 4 5	2
G♯maj7	A♯ becomes B♯, F×	1 3 5 7	2
G♯7	A♯ becomes B♯, F♯	1 3 5 ♭7	2
G♯m7	A♯ becomes B, F♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
G♯mMaj7	A♯ becomes B, F×	1 ♭3 5 7	2
G♯7sus4	A♯ becomes C♯, F♯	1 4 5 ♭7	2
G♯6	A♯ becomes B♯, E♯	1 3 5 6	2
G♯m6	A♯ becomes B, E♯	1 ♭3 5 6	2
G♯dim	A♯, D♯ becomes B, D	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz
A♯3	58	233.08 Hz
D♯4	63	311.13 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {8, 10, 3}
Normal order: [8, 10, 3]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
G♯ to A♯	Major second	2	2
G♯ to D♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
A♯ to D♯	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 G♯, 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.

G♯ Suspended 2nd

Fingerings

G♯ Suspended 2nd: notes and degrees