A#sus2 Chord on Ukulele
A#sus2 = A# – C – F (Root, Major 2nd, Perfect 5th)
Bbsus2 pulls the third out of Bb major and drops in a major second instead, turning Bb-D-F into Bb-C-F. On the ukulele the open C string happens to already supply that added second, so the shape is actually less crowded than the plain triad in one respect: the ring finger holds the G string's third fret, the C string rings open, and the index finger lays a small barre across the E and A strings at the first fret.
With no third present, Bbsus2 doesn't commit to being major or minor, giving it an open, slightly hollow character that composers use when they want color without settling the question of mode. It almost always functions as a suspension that wants to resolve — moving the open C string's pitch down to a fretted Db or up to a fretted D turns the chord into Bbm or Bb major respectively, which makes Bbsus2 a flexible pivot point rather than a fixed destination. In practice it shows up most often as a brief passing color leading into Bb major inside a bVII-based progression, adding a beat of ambiguity right before the borrowed chord fully lands. Because one of its four notes is an open string, Bbsus2 rings slightly less contained than Bb major's fully fretted shape, giving even this chromatic chord a touch of the ukulele's characteristic open resonance.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Build the barre first — index finger flat across the E and A strings at fret one — and confirm both strings ring evenly before adding the ring finger's higher note on the G string. The open C string in the middle of the shape needs to stay completely untouched by any other finger, so check the ring finger especially isn't drooping down and brushing it. Because this chord's whole function is to resolve, practice releasing the ring finger from the G string and sliding it down to the C string's third fret while the barre holds steady, which is one common way this suspension resolves toward Bb major in real playing. It's also worth practicing the alternate resolution toward Bbm, sliding the ring finger's G-string note down to the first fret instead, since a suspension genuinely can go either direction depending on what the songwriter wants next.
Common Progressions
- bVIIsus2 – bVII, resolving inside a borrowed chord (Bbsus2 – Bb)
- Isus2 – I, in the key of Bb itself (Bbsus2 – Bb)
- IVsus2 – IV, in the key of F (Bbsus2 – Bb, functioning as IV)
- Bbsus2 pivots easily toward either Bb major or Bbm depending on how the suspension resolves.
FAQ
- What note does sus2 replace in Bb major?
- The third, D, is replaced by C, a major second above the root, which the ukulele's open C string already supplies for free, unlike the fretted second needed on most other chords.
- Does Bbsus2 resolve toward major or minor?
- Either, depending on how the suspended note moves — sliding it up to D produces Bb major, while moving it toward Db instead produces Bbm, making the chord genuinely ambiguous until it resolves.
- Is Bbsus2 easier to finger than Bb major?
- Slightly, since the open C string replaces a fretted note, though the two-string barre across the E and A strings still needs the same care as in the plain major shape.
- Where does Bbsus2 typically appear in a progression?
- As a brief passing color just before Bb major fully resolves, especially inside progressions that borrow Bb as a bVII chord in the key of C.
- What's the quickest way to hear what sus2 actually removes from Bb major?
- Play Bb major, then Bbsus2, back to back a few times — the open C string replacing the fretted D is the entire difference, and isolating just that one string's change makes the shift easy to hear.
- Do sus2 and sus4 chords ever appear back to back in the same progression?
- Yes, especially in folk and pop writing, where a I chord alternates briefly with both its sus2 and sus4 versions in sequence before settling, giving a single held chord a sense of gentle motion without changing the underlying harmony.
- Why does an open string in the middle of a chord shape need extra attention?
- A string sandwiched between two fretted ones is the easiest to mute by accident with a stray finger, so it's worth checking specifically rather than assuming the whole chord rings just because the outer notes sound fine.
A#sus2 on other instruments: A#sus2 on Guitar, A#sus2 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.