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 B♭sus2.
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 notes
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 A♯ is a black key and B♯ and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call C and F. 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
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 6: 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♯
Play A♯sus2 on the online 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 B♭sus2
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♯(A#) | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | B♯(B#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♯(E#) |
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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key A♯sus2 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♯sus2 chord?
- The A♯sus2 chord contains A♯, B♯ and E♯ (A#, B# and E# 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 A♯ is a black key and B♯ and E♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call C and F. 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 6: 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 B♭sus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.