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A suspension is a non-chord tone that is held over from a previous chord, creating a temporary dissonance before resolving to a chord tone, usually by step.
What is a suspension?
A suspension occurs when a note from one chord continues into the next chord, where it temporarily clashes with the new harmony. The suspended note then resolves, most often by descending one step, to a note that belongs to the new chord.
Suspensions are commonly described using figures such as 4–3, 7–6 and 9–8, which indicate the interval before and after the resolution.
How is a suspension used in piano playing?
Piano players use suspensions to create expressive harmonic tension and smooth voice leading. Holding a note into the next chord before resolving it adds movement and emotional depth without changing the underlying harmony.
Learning to recognize and use suspensions helps pianists create more expressive accompaniments, richer voicings and more musical chord progressions.