Vsus2–V–I

The Vsus2–V–I progression adds a suspended second chord before the dominant resolves to the tonic. The sus2 chord’s open, ambiguous quality creates a moment of floating tension before the third is restored in the V chord, which then resolves to I. This layered resolution adds drama and momentum, especially in rock and ambient music where the open voicing of sus2 chords is prized.

Pattern: Vsus2 – V – I Example in C Major: Gsus2 – G – C

Genre: rock, pop, ambient Difficulty: beginner

Choose a Key

C Major Gsus2 – G – C G Major Dsus2 – D – G D Major Asus2 – A – D A Major Esus2 – E – A E Major Bsus2 – B – E B Major F♯sus2 – F♯ – B F♯ Major C♯sus2 – C♯ – F♯ F Major Csus2 – C – F B♭ Major Fsus2 – F – B♭ E♭ Major Bbsus2 – B♭ – E♭ A♭ Major Ebsus2 – E♭ – A♭ D♭ Major Absus2 – A♭ – D♭

Song Examples

Pinball Wizard — The Who
Brass in Pocket — Pretenders
Free Fallin' — Tom Petty

Related Progressions

Vsus4–V–I V–I Isus4–I