Suspended 2nd chord · A root
Asus2 chord
- A1
- B2
- E5
The A suspended 2nd chord is built from the notes A, B, E. It turns up 3 times in the 80 songs on this site, including A Horse with No Name.
By Chiye · Updated
What is the Asus2 chord?
The Asus2 chord (A suspended 2nd) is a suspended 2nd chord built from three notes: A, B, E — the 1–2–5 of the A scale, 2 semitones and 7 semitones above the root. On guitar it is most often played in open position (x-0-2-2-0-0) with 2 fingers while 3 strings ring open and the low E string stays silent. It is rated beginner — most players learn it in their first weeks. An open, ringing voicing with a modern folk flavour. It is one of the most-used chords in this site's library: across the 80 song sheets charted here, Asus2 appears 3 times in 1 song, most often in the key of Em, and the chord it most often moves to is A. Below you will find step-by-step fingering, 2 positions up the neck, audio of every shape, and the real progressions this chord lives inside.
How do you play the Asus2 chord on guitar?
Open position — the easiest version of Asus2 on the guitar.
- Press the D string at fret 2 with your index finger.
- Press the G string at fret 2 with your middle finger.
- Start your strum on the A string and do not play the low E string at all.
The x mark is part of the shape, not an accident: the chord only sounds right when low E stays silent. Instead of aiming your pick around that string, let the string next to it rest on it and damp it. x-0-2-2-0-0
How do you make Asus2 sound clean?
Pressing the G string too far from the wire buzzes instantly — Asus2 has only two fingers, so each one has nowhere to hide.
Asus2 → A → Asus4 → A is the folk-rock shimmer move. One finger at a time, rhythm steady.
In real songs
What songs use the Asus2 chord?
- chord changes
- 3
- songs
- 1
- common keys
- Em
Across the 80 chord sheets on this site, Asus2 appears 3 times in 1 song — most often in the key of Em.
Asus2AAsus2A
Chord flow
What chord comes after Asus2?
Every number here is a count from the progressions in our song sheets, not a generalisation: 1560 chord changes are behind these figures.
Three-chord moves
Three-chord moves are where a chord really shows its character. These are the ones that actually happen in this library, counted from the sheets:
What other ways can you play Asus2 up the neck?
1 more position below. Learn one of these well and the rest become optional. The value of a second position is practical: it keeps your fretting hand near where the song is already heading.
Position 2 · Fret 5 barre
Every note here is fretted, which means the shape transposes anywhere on the neck without changing your fingers.
The barre is the only hard part of this shape. Keep the bar finger straight and use the weight of your arm rather than the grip of your thumb.
Watch the Asus2 chord
Video: JustinGuitar on YouTube — embedded with the official player; credit and views belong to the creator.
The theory behind Asus2
Asus2 is spelled A – B – E — the 1 – 2 – 5 of the A scale, which is the root plus 2 semitones, 7 semitones. An open, ringing voicing with a modern folk flavour.
The second replaces the third, giving an open, ringing chord that belongs to no key in particular. It is the sound of acoustic pop intros, and it resolves by moving that second up a tone.
Asus2 on other instruments
A – B – E — all white keys, so you can find the shape by counting up from C.
Take it to the practice room
