Asus2 Chord on Guitar
Asus2 = A – B – E (Root, Major 2nd, Perfect 5th)
A suspended second replaces the triad's defining third with a major second, and at the fifth-fret barre it produces one of the more open, ringing sounds in this whole family of A-rooted chords. Removing the third is what a suspension actually means — the chord is left without the one note that would tell the ear whether it's major or minor.
A, B, E make up Asus2 — root, second, fifth, with no third at all. That absence gives the chord a wide-open, unresolved character often described as hollow or airy compared to the fuller A major triad it's built from. Guitarists reach for sus2 chords especially in folk and alternative styles where ringing open intervals are preferred over the more settled sound of a full triad, and the chord works equally well as a passing color on its way to A major or as a deliberately unresolved final chord.
Fingerings
Barre (5th fret)
How to Practice It
Play Asus2 immediately followed by A major and listen for exactly how the ear fills in the missing third once it finally arrives — that's the suspension resolving. Because the shape omits a note rather than adding one, it's often a slightly easier fingering than the full A barre, making it a reasonable rest position during a song that alternates between suspended and resolved A chords.
Common Progressions
- Asus2 – A (a direct suspension-to-resolution move)
- D – Asus2 – A – D (IV – Vsus2 – V – IV)
- Asus2 – Dsus2 – A (using two suspended chords back to back)
- E – Asus2 – F#m (V – Isus2 – vi in A major)
FAQ
- What makes Asus2 different from A major?
- The third (C#) is removed and replaced with the second (B), so the chord loses its major-or-minor identity entirely and takes on a more open, unresolved sound.
- Why do guitarists like sus2 chords in folk and rock?
- The missing third leaves extra ringing space in the chord, which suits open, strummed textures where a fuller, more harmonically settled triad can feel comparatively closed-in.
- Does Asus2 need to resolve to A major?
- Not necessarily — it's common as a standalone color, especially in modern rock and alternative writing, though the classic use is still as a brief suspension right before landing on the full triad.
- Is Asus2 harder or easier to play than A major?
- Generally about the same or slightly easier, since it's the identical barre position with a note omitted rather than added, so the fretting hand has one less thing to coordinate.
- How does Asus2 compare to Asus4?
- Both remove the third, but sus2 replaces it with the note below where the third would sit (the second) while sus4 replaces it with the note above (the fourth), giving each a distinctly different color despite the shared open, ambiguous quality.
- Can Asus2 be used interchangeably with A add9?
- No — Asus2 removes the third entirely, while A add9 keeps the third and adds the ninth (an octave-up second) on top, so add9 still sounds clearly major while sus2 does not.
- Why does Asus2 feel 'open' compared to a full triad?
- Removing the third takes away the note that sits closest to its neighbors in the chord, and without that tight interval the remaining notes — root, second, fifth — are spaced more widely, producing a sound many players describe as more open or ringing.
Asus2 on other instruments: Asus2 on Piano, Asus2 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.