Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: The Professor May 12 2013, 10:35 AM

In today’s theory lesson we’ll be looking at how you build 7Sus2 chords, as well as 8 commonly used fingerings for these chords that you can take into the practice and bring into your playing and songwriting.

The 7sus2 chord comes from the mixolydian mode, as it uses the 1st, 2nd, 5th and b7th notes of the mixolydian mode in it’s construction.

Here is how you would build a C7sus2 chord from the C mixolydian mode.

Notice how the numbers of the C mixolydian mode are used to spell the numbers of the C7sus2 chord, 1-2-5-b7, as this is the interval pattern needed to build any 7sus2 chord, regardless of key.






So, the 7sus2 chord is built by taking the Root, 2nd, 5th and b7th of the related Mixolydian Mode.





To help get this formula under your fingers and into your theory chops, you can write out all 12 different 7sus2 chords, such as C D G Bb for C7sus2, and post them in the comments section of this thread.

I’ll be glad to check your work and help with any questions you have regarding this lesson on building 7sus2 chords.






To keep things practical as well as theoretical, here are 8 different shapes for C7sus2 that you can take into your guitar playing.

Each of these shapes is commonly used and if you have even a few of them under your fingers will allow you to easily bring these sounds into your playing regardless of the style or musical situation.






Check out 7sus2 chords from both a construction and practical application.

These chords will pop up from time to time, or a lot if you play blues, jazz or fusion, and so it’s a good idea to have a mental and physical understanding of these common chords.