Ukulele · suspended second
Esus2 Chord on Ukulele
E Suspended 2nd is E, F#, B — the 1-2-5 pattern of a suspended second chord. There are 2 ways to play it on ukulele, ranked below from easiest to hardest.
There is no open Esus2 shape on ukulele — every version sits up the neck. The one marked “Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret)” below is the friendliest grip, so start there.
Start here — Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret)
Sits at fret 6 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
Every way to play it — 2 shapes, easiest first
Same chord in all of them. What changes is how much your hand has to do and where on the neck it sits.
Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret) Way 1 of 2
Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret)
Easiest here· intermediate· the standard shape
Sits at fret 6 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
Gsus2 Shape (movable) (9th fret) Way 2 of 2
Gsus2 Shape (movable) (9th fret)
intermediate
Barre at fret 9 — the same movable idea, further up the neck: brighter, more compact, and easier to reach if you are already playing up there.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
Esus2 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on ukulele.
Esus2 on Ukulele — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play Esus2 on ukulele?
“Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret)” — which we rate intermediate — is the easiest Esus2 shape on ukulele. Sits at fret 6 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath. There is no open Esus2 on ukulele, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.
What notes are in the E Suspended 2nd chord?
E Suspended 2nd is E, F#, B — the 1-2-5 interval pattern of a suspended second chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
How many ways can you play Esus2 on ukulele?
This page has 2 Esus2 voicings for ukulele, ranked from easiest to hardest: Bsus2 Shape (movable) (6th fret), Gsus2 Shape (movable) (9th fret). They all sound like Esus2; the differences are how hard they are to hold and how high they sit.
What can I play instead of Esus2?
The nearest stand-ins on ukulele that keep the same root are E5, Esus4, E. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play Esus2 on other instruments?
Yes. Esus2 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, bass, mandolin, banjo.
Learn the theory behind Esus2
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
Barre Chords — The Wall Every Guitarist Climbs
This one asks for a barre. The article is the fix for the buzzing and the aching hand.
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Chord Inversions and Slash Chords — Same Notes, Different Attitude
Suspending or adding a tone is a voicing decision, the same kind as an inversion or a slash chord.
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Chord Progressions Explained
These chords earn their keep inside a progression, leaning on the plain chord that follows.
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