Esus2 Guitar Chord
E Sus2 · E–F#–B
Esus2 is the E sus2 chord: E–F#–B. 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: Esus2 usually resolves to plain E or Em, and strumming between them is a songwriting trick you've heard in everything from The Who to Tom Petty. Because there's no 3rd, Esus2 works over both major and minor contexts in the key of E.
The most common way to play Esus2 is the barre shape at the 2nd fret (2 2 2 4 5 2, 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 Esus2: 8 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
Esus2 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 2 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note | E | F# | B |
Esus2 is built from the E major scale.
Esus2 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the Esus2 chord?
Esus2 contains 3 notes: E (R), F# (2), B (5). The interval formula for a sus2 chord is R–2–5.
What is the easiest way to play Esus2 on guitar?
Use the barre shape at the 2nd fret: 2 2 2 4 5 2 (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). Esus2 has no open-position shape in standard tuning, so this movable form is the standard starting point.
Is Esus2 a major or minor chord?
Neither — Esus2 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 Esus2 chord?
Esus2 appears diatonically in E major (as I), B major (as IV), and A major (as V) — plus Db minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
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