E♭sus2 Chord

The E♭sus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note E♭. Its notes are E♭, F and B♭. It is enharmonically the same chord as D♯sus2.

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.

E♭sus2 on piano

Piano diagram of the E♭sus2 chordFFE♭B♭E♭B♭E♭sus2 — E♭ · F · B♭

To play E♭sus2 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on E♭, middle finger on F, and little finger on B♭. 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.

E♭sus2 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the E♭sus2 chord11frE♭sus2

On guitar, E♭sus2 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

E♭sus2
E♭ · F · B♭

E♭sus2 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 2 · 5Notes: E♭ · F · B♭Also known as: D♯sus2
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0E♭(Eb)
2Major second2F
5Perfect fifth7B♭(Bb)

How to use the E♭sus2 chord

The E♭sus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Starting from the root E♭, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: E♭, F and B♭. 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 E♭sus2 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
E♭B♭CmA♭
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
E♭A♭B♭E♭
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V
E♭CmA♭B♭

Related chords to E♭sus2

Once you are comfortable with E♭sus2, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with E♭sus2 and are a natural next step in your practice.

Csus2
C · D · G
C♯sus2
C♯ · D♯ · G♯
Dsus2
D · E · A
Esus2
E · F♯ · B
E♭ Major
E♭ · G · B♭
E♭ Minor
E♭ · G♭ · B♭
E♭7
E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭
E♭maj7
E♭ · G · B♭ · D
B♭sus2
B♭ · C · F
A♭sus2
A♭ · B♭ · E♭

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E♭sus2 chord?
The E♭sus2 chord contains E♭, F and B♭ (Eb, F and Bb in plain text).
Is the E♭sus2 chord major or minor?
E♭sus2 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 E♭sus2 on piano?
Place your fingers on E♭, F and B♭ 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 E♭sus2 on guitar?
E♭sus2 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 is another name for the E♭sus2 chord?
E♭sus2 is enharmonically equivalent to D♯sus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the E♭sus2 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths