Guitar chord chart covering chord types from the Suspended family, featuring movable shapes in root position with multiple voicings for each type, shown with finger numbers.
All chords share a common foundation—each omits the 3rd and replaces it with either a 4th or a 2nd, forming sus4 or sus2 voicings respectively. This removes the major/minor distinction, giving the chords a more neutral, open sound.
Since there are many chords in this family, I've organized them in a meaningful way so you can easily understand which subcategory they belong to, refer to them collectively, and quickly grasp their purpose and use. Each chart groups chords that share something in common, which is reflected in the title of the page.
List of Chords Featured in the Chart
| ▼ Suspended Chords | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Name | Scale Degrees | Other Symbols |
| sus4 | Sus4 | 1-4-5 | sus |
| sus2 | Sus2 | 1-2-5 | |
Note: You can find a reference for chord intervals and scale degrees at the bottom of this page (expand the "Show More" section).
Features and Benefits of the Chart
- Multiple shapes: Each chord type is given in several shape variations, covering root note placement across different strings, options for strumming or fingerpicking, voicings that emphasize different colors in harmonically rich chords, and shapes that better fit your hand, technique, or playing style.
- Movable: You can take any shape and move it anywhere on the fretboard to get the chord with the exact bass note you want.
- In Root Position: All chords are presented in root position only (no inversions), by design. This keeps the bass reinforcing all the colors of the chord, so you can clearly hear and lock in the core sound and identity of each chord type.
- Notes As Finger Numbers: Diagrams have beginner-friendly finger numbers that show you which fingers to use instead of generic intervals and other types of presentation you might not yet be comfortable with.
- One Family: All chords belong to the same family and share a common foundation—each omits the 3rd and replaces it with either a 4th or a 2nd.
- Symbol & Formula: Each chart shows the chord with its standard symbol and a full scale-degree formula.
- Optional Tones: Charts feature optional tones, which you can freely add or omit. They let you control sound density, playability, and voice-leading depending on the musical situation. You can include them without changing your hand position, and they also help you see shapes within shapes.
- Full Context: If you print the chart, the page is fully self-explanatory, so you always know exactly what you're looking at—no need for a table of contents and page numbers to figure it out. The title is clearly shown in the header, and a legend in the footer helps you read and interpret the chart instantly.
- Horizontal Diagrams: Chord diagrams are often shown vertically with the nut at the top, which doesn't match how the fretboard actually looks when you're holding the guitar. This chart features horizontal diagrams with the nut on the side, matching your real point of view on the fretboard.
More Insights To Explore
Click the button below to expand and learn more about the following topics:
- Whether to include the optional dashed notes shown in the charts
- Chord intervals reference
- Scale degrees reference
To Include or Not to Include the Optional Note
Dashed notes indicate optional tones that can be omitted without affecting the chord's function or core sound. These are either tones duplicated in another octave, non-guide tones, or non-primary color tones.
I recommend playing the chord without them first and really listening to how it sounds, then adding them only if you like what you hear and they serve the sound you're going for.
Why I introduced them?
- Reduces the number of diagrams—one optional note would otherwise be split into 2 diagrams, two would result in 4 diagrams and so on.
- Makes it easier to see similarities between shapes when they're superimposed
Here are some scenarios where you might choose to include them or leave them out—these aren't pros and cons, just different situations you might find yourself in.
Scenarios when you would want to include:
- It makes that particular chord shape easier to play with the optional note included rather than omitted.
- You want the fuller, richer sound that comes from adding the inessential tone.
- You like it when you can strum the chord with the pick rather than fingerpick around string skips.
Scenarios when you would not want to include:
- You want to reduce note density and let the chord breathe, creating more space in the sound.
- You want to separate the bass from the chord-defining tones.
- You need a specific top voice for voice-leading to the next chord, and adding another note on top would change that (the opposite is also actually true—you might want to include it for the very same reason).
- You want to omit inessential tone(s) to highlight the main color of the chord—in other words, to add definition and emphasize your original intent.
- Including it makes the chord harder—or even impossible—to play for your current situation (hand size, finger limitations, injury, etc.).
Another goal I aimed for with these optional notes was practicality—you can add any of them without changing your hand position or rearranging your fingers. If a shape includes an optional note, it means you either have a free finger available to fret it, or you can easily bring it in with a simple barre.
Chord Intervals Reference
The handy table below shows the chord extension depth, how each level can be modified, and the symbols used for each alteration.
Note that these are not scale degrees, but chord notation as used in chord symbols such as 7sus4 or maj7#11. For example, the symbol "7" here represents a minor 7th interval, whereas as a scale degree it would correspond to a major 7th.
The "Dominant" column shows a full stack of thirds that forms an extended dominant chord reaching all the way up to the 13th. It serves as our reference point. When you raise or lower any of these tones, that alteration gets a symbol which you can see to the left and right of this column.
Just to clarify: this chart itself isn't specifically about dominant chord alterations—it applies to all chord types. It's just that the unaltered symbols (1,3,5,7, etc.) define the dominant chord structure and serve as the baseline.
Think of the leftmost column as the extension level (or depth).
| -2 tones | -1 tone | Dominant | +1 tone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | 1 | |||
| Third | sus2 | m3 | 3 | sus4 |
| Fifth | b5 | 5 | #5 | |
| Seventh | b6 | dim7 or 6 | 7 | maj7 |
| Ninth | b9 | 9 | #9 | |
| Eleventh | 11 | #11 | ||
| Thirteenth | b13 | 13 |
Relationship Between Scale Degrees and Intervals
| Scale Degree | Interval Name | Short Name | Half-Steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perfect unison | P1 | 0 half-steps |
| b2 | Minor second | m2 | 1 half-step |
| 2 | Major second | M2 | 2 half-steps |
| b3 | Minor third | m3 | 3 half-steps |
| 3 | Major third | M3 | 4 half-steps |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | P4 | 5 half-steps |
| b5 | Diminished fifth | d5 | 6 half-steps |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | P5 | 7 half-steps |
| b6 | Minor sixth | m6 | 8 half-steps |
| 6 | Major sixth | M6 | 9 half-steps |
| b7 | Minor seventh | m7 | 10 half-steps |
| 7 | Major seventh | M7 | 11 half-steps |
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