Esus2 Chord on Ukulele
Esus2 = E – F# – B (Root, Major 2nd, Perfect 5th)
E is stingy with easy shapes, and Esus2 is no exception: it needs two separate mini-barres stacked at different frets rather than one clean shape — index finger flattened over the G and C strings at the fourth fret, and a second finger doing the same job across the E and A strings two frets lower. Nothing here rings open, and nothing lines up into a single barre the way it might on a friendlier root.
Pull the third out of a triad and drop in the second scale degree instead, and the result — as with any sus2 — refuses to commit to either a bright or dark identity until something resolves it. On this particular root, that ambiguous color comes at a real physical cost, since E offers so few genuinely easy voicings to begin with; a player reaching for Esus2 here is usually choosing it deliberately for its open, unsettled texture rather than treating it as a quick embellishment the way Csus2 might function in an easier key. It still does the same decorative job of any suspended second, sitting comfortably just before or after the plain triad without disturbing a progression's underlying harmony.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Rather than fighting to place both barres at once, isolate them: get the upper G-C barre at the fourth fret ringing cleanly by itself first, then bring in the lower E-A pairing and check neither finger is crowding the other's territory. The fourth-fret barre itself is a direct rehearsal for plain E major's own barre, just trimmed down to two strings, so time spent here isn't wasted even if E major is the real destination. To resolve into the plain triad, slide the lower barre up until it meets the upper one at the fourth fret — a single clean motion worth slowing down for.
Common Progressions
- Esus2 sliding up into E gives a short embellishment before the tonic lands
- I(sus2) – IV – V – I (Esus2 – A – B – E)
- Esus2 paired with B keeps a two-chord passage bright and open
- IV – I(sus2) (A – Esus2), left hanging on the unresolved color
FAQ
- Why does Esus2 need two separate barres?
- Because its four notes happen to pair up two at a time on adjacent strings at two different frets, so the most efficient fingering uses one finger flat across the G and C strings and a second finger flat across the E and A strings.
- Is Esus2 easier or harder than plain E major?
- It's a comparably demanding shape, though a different kind of demanding — two smaller two-string barres rather than one three-string barre plus an independent stretch — so neither chord is a genuine shortcut around the other.
- How does Esus2 resolve into E major?
- By sliding the lower barre up two frets to meet the upper one at the fourth fret, consolidating the two separate barre groups into the single three-string barre plain E major uses.
- Why would a player choose Esus2 given how tricky E chords already are?
- As a deliberate textural choice — since E major offers so few easy voicings to begin with, some players reach for the suspended color specifically for its open, unresolved sound rather than as an easier alternative to the plain triad.
- Which note does Esus2 replace, and what takes its place?
- It drops E major's third, G#, entirely, replacing it with the second scale degree, F#, which removes the chord's major identity and leaves it suspended in that characteristic ambiguous color.
- Should a beginner attempt Esus2 before plain E major?
- Not necessarily — since both shapes demand real barre coordination, most players are better served tackling whichever chord their song actually calls for first, rather than assuming one is a stepping stone to the other.
- Is there a lower-position alternative to Esus2?
- Not one that preserves all four correct chord tones without clashing against an open string — because none of Esus2's notes coincide neatly with the open GCEA pitches at a lower fret, the double-barre voicing described here remains the most practical option in first position.
- What's a realistic timeline for getting the Esus2 double barre reliable?
- For a player already comfortable with a single three- or four-string barre, expect several dedicated sessions rather than one — coordinating two separate barre groups at different frets is a genuinely distinct skill from holding just one.
Esus2 on other instruments: Esus2 on Guitar, Esus2 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.