The Difference Between Sus and Add4

Difficulty: intermediate

The difference between sus (suspended) and add4 chords may not be what you think.

A sus chord contains the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the major scale. It's important to note that a sus chord does not contain a 3rd.

An add4 chord contains the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th notes of the major scale. It's important to note that an add4 chord contains both a 3rd and 4th.

Gsus

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The Gsus chord contains just 3 notes: G, C, and D. The 1st, 4th, and 5th notes of the G major scale.