Asus2 Guitar Chord
A Sus2 · A–B–E
Asus2 is the A sus2 chord: A–B–E. Its sound is open and airy — replacing the 3rd with a 2nd removes the major/minor identity and leaves shimmer.
Suspended chords are about motion: Asus2 usually resolves to plain A or Am, and strumming between them is a songwriting trick you've heard in everything from The Who to Tom Petty. Because there's no 3rd, Asus2 works over both major and minor contexts in the key of A.
The easiest way to play Asus2 is the open-position shape (x 0 2 2 0 0, low E string to high E string), which uses open strings and stays in the first few frets. Below you'll find 7 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 Asus2: 7 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
Asus2 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 2 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note | A | B | E |
Asus2 is built from the A major scale.
Asus2 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the Asus2 chord?
Asus2 contains 3 notes: A (R), B (2), E (5). The interval formula for a sus2 chord is R–2–5.
What is the easiest way to play Asus2 on guitar?
Use the open-position shape: x 0 2 2 0 0 (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). It uses open strings, so it needs the least finger strength.
Is Asus2 a major or minor chord?
Neither — Asus2 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.
What keys use the Asus2 chord?
Asus2 appears diatonically in A major (as I), E major (as IV), and D major (as V) — plus F# minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
Hear yourself play Asus2
OpenFret listens to your real guitar through the microphone. Check your chords ring clean in the free Studio, or learn the fretboard by battling monsters in Guitar Quest — free in your browser, no signup needed.