G#sus2 Chord on Ukulele
G#sus2 = G# – A# – D# (Root, Major 2nd, Perfect 5th)
G#sus2 removes the chord's third altogether and replaces it with a note a whole step above the root — A#, in this case — which changes the whole character of the triad from settled to open and unresolved. The shape frets the G string at the first, the C string at the third, the E string at the fourth, and the A string at the first, with the G and A strings sharing the same fret number on opposite outer strings.
Because it drops the third, G#sus2 is neither clearly major nor minor — that ambiguity is the whole point of a sus2 chord, and it's why these voicings show up as a passing color between a plain triad and its suspended cousin sus4, or as a deliberately unresolved-sounding strum. Resolving G#sus2 back to G# major (by moving the added second up to the third) or to G# minor (by moving it down) gives a songwriter two different destinations from the same starting shape, a flexibility straight triads don't offer. Since G# and Ab major are uncommon tonic centers on ukulele, G#sus2 shows up mostly as a passing color inside B major or E major material that briefly touches on the bIII region, rather than as a chord a whole song is built around.
Fingerings
Closed Position
How to Practice It
The G string's first fret and the A string's first fret sit on opposite outer strings sharing the same fret number, which can tempt a player to treat them as a barre, but the C string sits between them fretted at a different, much higher position, so they need two fully independent fingers rather than one flat one. Practice placing the G and A string fingers first as a pair, then adding the C and E string fingers, since the outer pair is the easier reference point to build the rest of the shape around. A good ear-training exercise is alternating this shape with plain G# major, listening for exactly which single note distinguishes the suspended color from the resolved one.
Common Progressions
- G#sus2 resolving up into G# major as a suspension-and-release figure
- G#sus2 resolving down into G# minor for a darker landing
- bIII(sus2) as a passing color inside a B major progression
- G#sus2 – G#7 – C#m, a suspended approach into a minor-key resolution
FAQ
- What happens to the third in G#sus2?
- It's removed entirely — B# (C) makes way for A#, a whole step above the root, and without a third present the chord no longer commits to sounding major or minor.
- Do the G and A strings form a barre in this shape?
- No — even though they share the same first-fret position, the C string between them is fretted at a much higher fret, so the G and A string notes need two separate, independent fingers.
- How does G#sus2 usually get used?
- Most often as a passing or ornamental chord that resolves into either G# major or G# minor, or as a brief bIII-region color inside B major or E major material.
- What's the easiest way to hear the difference between G#sus2 and G# major?
- Strum the two chords back to back slowly — the shift is a single note moving from A# down to B# (C), and isolating that one string's sound makes the color change obvious.
G#sus2 on other instruments: G#sus2 on Guitar, G#sus2 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.