Absus2 Guitar Chord
Ab Sus2 · also written G#sus2 · Ab–Bb–Eb
Absus2 is the Ab sus2 chord: Ab–Bb–Eb. Its sound is open and airy — replacing the 3rd with a 2nd removes the major/minor identity and leaves shimmer. It's also written as G#sus2 — same notes, same shapes, different spelling.
Suspended chords are about motion: Absus2 usually resolves to plain Ab or Abm, and strumming between them is a songwriting trick you've heard in everything from The Who to Tom Petty. Because there's no 3rd, Absus2 works over both major and minor contexts in the key of Ab.
The most common way to play Absus2 is the neck voicing at the 3rd fret (4 x x 3 4 4, low E string to high E string). Below you'll find 8 ways to play it across the neck, from open position to barre and shell voicings, with the theory behind the chord and the progressions it lives in.
How to Play Absus2: 8 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
Absus2 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 2 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Ab | Bb | Eb |
Absus2 is built from the Ab major scale.
Absus2 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the Absus2 chord?
Absus2 contains 3 notes: Ab (R), Bb (2), Eb (5). The interval formula for a sus2 chord is R–2–5.
What is the easiest way to play Absus2 on guitar?
Use the neck voicing at the 3rd fret: 4 x x 3 4 4 (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). Absus2 has no open-position shape in standard tuning, so this movable form is the standard starting point.
Is Absus2 a major or minor chord?
Neither — Absus2 has no 3rd, the note that decides major versus minor. That ambiguity is exactly why it's useful: it fits over both major and minor harmony.
Is Absus2 the same as G#sus2?
Yes. Ab and G# are enharmonic equivalents — the same pitch written two ways. Absus2 and G#sus2 use identical shapes and frets; which spelling you see depends on the key of the song.
What keys use the Absus2 chord?
Absus2 appears diatonically in Ab major (as I), Eb major (as IV), and Db major (as V) — plus F minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
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