As a suspended tonicE major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
Esus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Esus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, F♯ and B.
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
- Esus2
Esus2 on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Esus2 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 F♯ is a black key and E and B are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- F♯2
- B5
Esus2 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Esus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 4. Strings 6, 2 and 1 ring open.
E · F♯ · B
Try Esus2 on the virtual piano
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Esus2 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | F♯(F#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B |
How to use the Esus2 chord
The Esus2 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 Esus2 differs from similar chords
Esus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike E or Em it is neither major nor minor. It is not Eadd9, 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 Esus2 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 Esus2 chord?
- The Esus2 chord contains E, F♯ and B (E, F# and B in plain text).
- Is the Esus2 chord major or minor?
- Esus2 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 Esus2 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 F♯ is a black key and E and B are white.
- How do you play Esus2 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 4. Strings 6, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What chords work well with Esus2?
- Esus2 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.