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Suspension - a non-chord tone which is approached by repetition of the same note and left by step downward. The suspension is in an accented position (falls on the strong part of the beat) with its resolution occurring in an unaccented position.
Locate the melodic movement of a step downward. Delay this movement downward by an eighth note, causing the note to be not part the changing chord. Then resolve the dissonance by moving down a step on the next eighth note.
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In the example above there is movement downward by step in the alto
from F to E. If we delay this movement by one eighth note (see
below),
we create a dissonance with the rest of the V chord (C-E-G). This
dissonance is a suspension. Resolving it down by step brings in
the
note that completes the chord, giving us a 4-3 suspension.
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There exists the possibility of inserting a neighboring tone in the soprano, between the first and second beats. This is inadvisable. The suspension is intended to resolve into consonance, but if you introduce dissonance (in the form of a non-chord tone) at the point of resolution, the suspension never resolves into consonance.
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If you still have questions, contact Dr. Bartolotta at wbartolo@odu.edu.