E suspended second
How to play Esus2 — Suspended second
Esus2 (Suspended second)E · F♯ · B
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, 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 guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Esus2 stacks a major second (F♯) and a perfect fifth (B) above the root E.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Esus2 — movable shapes higher up the neck reaching up to the 7th fret. They use a barre.
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?
- The Esus2 chord contains the notes E, F♯, B. It replaces the third with the second for an airy, open sound common in folk and pop.
- How many ways can you play Esus2 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — movable shapes up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Esus2 a hard chord to play?
- It is a movable shape played higher up the neck rather than in open position, so it takes a little more hand strength.
- 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.