As a suspended tonicE♭ major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
E♭sus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♭sus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note E♭. Its notes are E♭, F and B♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♯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
- E♭ · F · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · 2 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 2 · 7
- Note
- E♭
- Quality
- Suspended 2
- Symbol
- E♭sus2
E♭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 E♭sus2 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E♭, middle finger on F and little finger on B♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard E♭ and B♭ are black keys and F is white. 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.
- E♭1
- F2
- B♭5
E♭sus2 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♭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. Don't play string 6.
E♭ · F · B♭
Try E♭sus2 on the virtual piano
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E♭sus2 chord notes
Also known as D♯sus2
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | F | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♭(Bb) |
How to use the E♭sus2 chord
The E♭sus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Start at the root E♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E♭, F and B♭. 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 E♭sus2 differs from similar chords
E♭sus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike E♭ or E♭m it is neither major nor minor. It is not E♭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 E♭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 E♭sus2 chord?
- The E♭sus2 chord contains E♭, F and B♭ (Eb, F and Bb in plain text).
- Is the E♭sus2 chord major or minor?
- E♭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 E♭sus2 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E♭, F and B♭ 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 E♭ and B♭ are black keys and F is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play E♭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. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the E♭sus2 chord?
- E♭sus2 is enharmonically equivalent to D♯sus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.