E suspended second
How to play Esus2 — Suspended second
Esus2 (Suspended second)E · F♯ · B
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
E suspended second — notes and structure
The Esus2 chord replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
The Esus2 suspended second consists of the notes E, F♯, B. Its interval structure is R–2–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Esus2 stacks a major second (F♯) and a perfect fifth (B) above the root E.
To play Esus2, press the keys E, F♯, B together — the root E is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Esus2 in?
Every note of Esus2 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- G major — the VI chord
- D major — the II chord
- A major — the V chord
- E major — the I chord
Chords that go with Esus2
In G major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Esus2 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E suspended second chord on piano?
- The Esus2 chord is made of the notes E, F♯, B. It replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
- How do you play E suspended second on the piano?
- Press E, F♯, B at the same time, with the root E as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the suspended second chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–2–5 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does Esus2 belong to?
- Esus2 fits G major (where it is the VI chord), D major (where it is the II chord), A major (where it is the V chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.