I have a piece of music that has chord symbols, one of the symbols is G 4, 2, with the 4 above the 2. What is that chord? I have searched the net and can't find the answer to that. Any help thanks!

Stride

Could be a third inversion G7 chord:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_%28music%29#Inversions

It's a symbol for a suspended chord. Sometimes written as sus2 and sus4, if you were playing a C2/4 chord you would play the notes c - d - f. I'm not sure if the third - e- is omitted or not.

I think you're confusing figured bass and chord symbols!

Maybe, but often the figured bass notation is used to indicate or advise an inversion of the chord. (i.e. the John Mehegan's books)

Yes, it also really depends on what other chord symbols are present. If there are a bunch of different systems used in the same tune it would be harder to tell what it may be. I've never seen a 4 over 2 beside a letter name though. Usually it would say sus, or the numbers would be beside a roman numeral.

A suspended 4th chord and a suspended 2nd chord are quite common but I don’t recall seeing both suspended at the same time before. I agree with eweiss that you would play the 4th and the 2nd note, but I think the chord would more likely be DFG with a C in the bass. (Exactly how the chord is voiced would depend on the melody note at that point and also on the context.) A suspended chord has tension and almost always resolves with the suspended note falling to a chord note in the next chord. I expect that the C4/2 chord would be followed by a C chord. The F will fall to E. and the D will fall to C.

Without looking at the music my guess would be sus 4 add 2. I.e., a C4/2 would be CDFG.

I see people talking about sus 2 above. Sus 2 is very rare, or should be very rare. There's typically no need to omit the (major) 3rd on a chord where 2 is added. In fact, it should be added. Typically it is an add 2. (Like a 9th only you don't play the 7).

2 can be a suspension leading to 3. The ubiquitous example is the Floyd Cramer signature piano lick.

My understanding of a suspended 2nd is that the root is omitted, or putting it another way the 2nd is played instead of the root. This is temporary however and the 2nd inevitably slides to the root resolving the suspension and the tension.

I would like Stride to tell us if his C4/2 chord is followed by a C chord and if it resolves as I described in my earlier post.

Ron

If it is a chord symbol, the author is doing it wrong.

I have seen such chord symbols before.
For example, a C9/6, would be a C6 add 9.