Resolution vs Suspension

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Resolution	Suspension
Definition	The move from a dissonant or unstable sonority to a consonant or stable one	A non-chord tone held over from the previous chord, creating tension
Category	harmony	harmony
Pronunciation	rez-oh-LOO-shun	suh-SPEN-shun
Origin	Latin	Latin
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	release	sus
Antonyms	tension dissonance	resolution
Usage	The long-delayed resolution to the tonic at the end of the development section brings an almost physical sense of relief.	The 4–3 suspension over the dominant draws out the tension before the final cadence.

Definition: The move from a dissonant or unstable sonority to a consonant or stable one
Category: harmony
Pronunciation: rez-oh-LOO-shun
Origin: Latin
Synonyms: release
Antonyms: tension dissonance
Usage: The long-delayed resolution to the tonic at the end of the development section brings an almost physical sense of relief.

Definition: A non-chord tone held over from the previous chord, creating tension
Category: harmony
Pronunciation: suh-SPEN-shun
Origin: Latin
Synonyms: sus
Antonyms: resolution
Usage: The 4–3 suspension over the dominant draws out the tension before the final cadence.