Esus2 Chord
How to play E sus2 on guitar — open and airy: the 3rd is replaced by the 2nd, so it is neither major nor minor.
- Notes
- E – F♯ – B
- Frets (low → high)
- x 7 9 9 7 7
- Difficulty
- Barre chord
- Shape
- Barre at fret 7
How to play Esus2, step by step
- 1Lay your index finger flat across the 5 strings from the A down to the high E at the 7th fret — this is the barre, and it works like a movable nut.
- 2Put your ring finger on the 9th fret of the D string (4th).
- 3Put your little finger on the 9th fret of the G string (3rd).
- 4Leave the low E string out — mute it with the side of a finger, or just avoid it as you strum.
- 5Strum slowly and check every string sounds cleanly; if one buzzes, press closer to the fret wire and arch your fingers so they clear the neighbouring strings.
An easier way to play Esus2
Esus2 normally needs a barre, which is the single most common place beginners stall. A capo removes it entirely.
Put a capo on fret 2 and play an open Dsus2 shape. The capo raises every string by 2 semitones, so what your hand fingers as Dsus2 comes out of the guitar as Esus2 — the same chord, none of the strain.
What makes a suspended second chord
Open and airy: the 3rd is replaced by the 2nd, so it is neither major nor minor.
| Note | Interval | Semitones above E |
|---|---|---|
| E | root | 0 |
| F♯ | 2nd | 2 |
| B | 5th | 7 |
Other E chords
Same root, different colour. Swapping one of these into a progression is the quickest way to change its mood without changing the key.
Every sus2 chord
The same shape moved around the neck. If you can play Esus2 you are a fret-slide away from all of these.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the Esus2 chord?
- Esus2 is made of E, F♯, B — the root, 2nd, 5th of E.
- Is Esus2 hard to play?
- Esus2 is usually played as a barre chord at the 7th fret, which takes some hand strength. An easier route is a capo on fret 2 and the open Dsus2 shape — it sounds identical.
- How do I play Esus2 without a barre?
- Put a capo on fret 2 and play the open Dsus2 shape. The capo raises every string by 2 semitones, so the shape sounds as Esus2 while your hand does far less work.
Got a chart full of chords like Esus2?
Upload a chord sheet and move every chord into a key that fits your hands and your voice — the layout stays exactly as printed. Or let the capo calculator pick the position that turns the barre chords into open ones.