Chord · E Suspended 2nd
Esus2 Chord
Esus2 is E, F# and B — open, unresolved; neither major nor minor.
Esus2 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Esus2 is made of
Esus2 (E suspended second) is built from the notes E, F#, B, with the interval pattern 1, 2, 5.
Stack 1, 2 and 5 on a root of E and you get E, F# and B. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a suspended second chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Csus2 sounds like a transposed Esus2.
Suspended 2nd: Open, unresolved; neither major nor minor.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with F♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain Esus2
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 12 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Other chords on E
Same root, different colour.
The same suspended second shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Esus2
- What notes are in the Esus2 chord?
- Esus2 is made of E, F# and B — the 1, 2 and 5 degrees of a suspended second chord built on E.
- What keys use the Esus2 chord?
- Every note of Esus2 belongs to 12 keys: G Major (vi), D Major (ii), A Major (V), E Major (I), B Major (IV), Cb Major (IV), E Minor (i), B Minor (iv), F# Minor (VII), C# Minor (III), G# Minor (VI), Ab Minor (VI). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Esus2 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Esus2 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 10 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Esus2 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.