D Suspended 2nd Guitar Chord — Drop D
Guitar chord voicings in Drop D tuning (D-A-D-G-B-E)
D Suspended 2nd Voicings in Drop D
D Suspended 2nd filtered by fret:
D Suspended 2nd in Drop D Tuning — Guide
The D Suspended 2nd chord is made up of the following notes: D, E, A.
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 5P.
The D Suspended 2nd chord in Drop D tuning (D-A-D-G-B-E) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
D sus2 substitutes the third for a major second, giving the notes D, E, A with intervals 1P, 2M, 5P. Like its sus4 sibling, this chord avoids declaring major or minor, but the second degree lends it a more modern, spacious, and airy character. Sus2 chords are favorites in alternative rock, post-rock, and worship music, where their openness creates an atmospheric, expansive harmonic palette.
How to Play D Suspended 2nd
On guitar, the most common voicing for D sus2 is x-x-0-2-3-0 — open position on the top strings with an open, floating quality. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
D Suspended 2nd in Progressions
D sus2 works as an alternative to both D major and D minor, adding ambiguity and openness. It is popular in verse sections of pop and rock songs, where its neutral quality allows the melody to define the emotional direction.
Common Substitutions
D major, Dsus4, or Asus4 provide alternative voicings with a similar open character.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.