As a suspended tonicA♭ major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
A♭sus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♭sus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note A♭. Its notes are A♭, B♭ and E♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as G♯sus2.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- Notes
- A♭ · B♭ · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · 2 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 2 · 7
- Note
- A♭
- Quality
- Suspended 2
- Symbol
- A♭sus2
A♭sus2 on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♭sus2 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♭, middle finger on B♭ and little finger on E♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of A♭sus2 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♭1
- B♭2
- E♭5
A♭sus2 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♭sus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
A♭ · B♭ · E♭
Try A♭sus2 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
A♭sus2 chord notes
Also known as G♯sus2
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♭(Eb) |
How to use the A♭sus2 chord
The A♭sus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Start at the root A♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♭, B♭ and E♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Suspended second chords are a signature sound of modern pop, worship music, ambient and post-rock. They're commonly used as colour over a root chord or as an open alternative to major.
How A♭sus2 differs from similar chords
A♭sus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike A♭ or A♭m it is neither major nor minor. It is not A♭add9, which keeps the third and adds the ninth on top. Its three notes are the same as those of the sus4 chord built on its fifth.
Where A♭sus2 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♭sus2 chord?
- The A♭sus2 chord contains A♭, B♭ and E♭ (Ab, Bb and Eb in plain text).
- Is the A♭sus2 chord major or minor?
- A♭sus2 is a suspended second chord. Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- How do you play A♭sus2 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♭, B♭ and E♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of A♭sus2 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♭sus2 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 4: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the A♭sus2 chord?
- A♭sus2 is enharmonically equivalent to G♯sus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.