Harmony
Suspension (Harmony)
- Definition
- A suspension is a note carried over from a previous chord that briefly creates tension against the new chord before resolving down or up to a stable tone.
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Songwriting stage
- writing
In practice
Suspensions work by delaying the moment a voice or instrument moves to the note the ear expects, holding an older note instead so it temporarily clashes with the new underlying chord. That brief dissonance is followed by a resolution, usually a step down, which gives the moment a satisfying release. Suspended chords, often written as sus2 or sus4, capture this effect in guitar and keyboard shorthand.
Songwriters use suspensions to add a moment of gentle tension right before a cadence or chord change, making the eventual resolution feel more rewarding. Even a single suspended chord held for a beat before resolving can make an otherwise simple progression feel more expressive.
Example
Before landing on a G major chord, a guitarist holds a Gsus4 for one beat, letting the C note hang against the chord before sliding down to the B that completes the resolved G major triad.