Dsus2 Chord

The Dsus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note D. Its notes are D, E and A.

Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.

Dsus2 on piano

Piano diagram of the Dsus2 chordDEADEADsus2 — D · E · A

To play Dsus2 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on D, middle finger on E, and little finger on A. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Dsus2 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the Dsus2 chordDsus2

On guitar, Dsus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they do not mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Dsus2
D · E · A

Dsus2 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 2 · 5Notes: D · E · A
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0D
2Major second2E
5Perfect fifth7A

How to use the Dsus2 chord

The Dsus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Starting from the root D, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: D, E and A. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Suspended second chords are a signature sound of modern pop, worship music, ambient and post-rock. They are commonly used as colour over a root chord or as an open alternative to major.

Common progressions

The Dsus2 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
DABmG
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
DGAD
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V
DBmGA

Related chords to Dsus2

Once you are comfortable with Dsus2, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Dsus2 and are a natural next step in your practice.

Csus2
C · D · G
C♯sus2
C♯ · D♯ · G♯
E♭sus2
E♭ · F · B♭
Esus2
E · F♯ · B
D Major
D · F♯ · A
D Minor
D · F · A
D7
D · F♯ · A · C
Dmaj7
D · F♯ · A · C♯
Asus2
A · B · E
Gsus2
G · A · D

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Dsus2 chord?
The Dsus2 chord contains D, E and A.
Is the Dsus2 chord major or minor?
Dsus2 is a suspended second chord. Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
How do you play Dsus2 on piano?
Place your fingers on D, E and A and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play Dsus2 on guitar?
Dsus2 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What chords work well with Dsus2?
Dsus2 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Dsus2 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths