Asus2 Chord

The Asus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, B and E.

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.

Asus2 on piano

Piano diagram of the Asus2 chordEABEABAsus2 — A · B · E

To play Asus2 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on A, middle finger on B, and little finger on E. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Asus2 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the Asus2 chordAsus2

On guitar, Asus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they do not mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Asus2
A · B · E

Asus2 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 2 · 5Notes: A · B · E
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0A
2Major second2B
5Perfect fifth7E

How to use the Asus2 chord

The Asus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Starting from the root A, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: A, B and E. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Suspended second chords are a signature sound of modern pop, worship music, ambient and post-rock. They are commonly used as colour over a root chord or as an open alternative to major.

Common progressions

The Asus2 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
AEF♯mD
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
ADEA
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V
AF♯mDE

Related chords to Asus2

Once you are comfortable with Asus2, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Asus2 and are a natural next step in your practice.

Csus2
C · D · G
C♯sus2
C♯ · D♯ · G♯
Dsus2
D · E · A
E♭sus2
E♭ · F · B♭
A Major
A · C♯ · E
A Minor
A · C · E
A7
A · C♯ · E · G
Amaj7
A · C♯ · E · G♯
Esus2
E · F♯ · B

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Asus2 chord?
The Asus2 chord contains A, B and E.
Is the Asus2 chord major or minor?
Asus2 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 Asus2 on piano?
Place your fingers on A, B and E and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play Asus2 on guitar?
Asus2 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What chords work well with Asus2?
Asus2 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Asus2 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths