Esus2 Guitar Chord

Esus2 is the E suspended second chord. It has three notes: E, F♯ and B. Unlike Asus2 or Dsus2, you cannot get it by lifting a finger from the plain chord; the F♯ has to be fretted up at the 4th fret. In return you get a full six string chord with the note B ringing on three strings at once.

Index on the A string, then ring and pinky side by side at the 4th fret. Both E strings and the B ring open, so the whole guitar is working.

How to play Esus2, step by step

Index finger: 2nd fret, A string
Ring finger: 4th fret, D string
Pinky finger: 4th fret, G string
Strum all six strings.

The reach from the index at the 2nd fret to the ring and pinky at the 4th is the whole difficulty. Once that settles, treat it like Em: a strum everything chord.

More ways to play Esus2

There are 3 common Esus2 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Esus2 guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 2 to 5, played xx2452 — Compact, frets 2 to 5

Esus2 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 7, played x79977 — Barre at fret 7

If it sounds tight or buzzy

Open B string gets muted: The pinky on the G string is drooping onto it. Arch the pinky so only its tip touches anything.
Buzz on the D or G string: Ring and pinky share the 4th fret and the stretch pulls them flat. Bring both tips down square, right behind the fret wire.
The A string note chokes: Reaching for the 4th fret drags the index out of position. Keep its tip planted just behind the 2nd fret while the other fingers stretch.

What makes it an Esus2

E · F♯ · B 1 2 5

Esus2 replaces the G♯ in the E major triad with F♯. No third means no major or minor; the F♯ sits a whole step above the root and keeps the chord in suspense until a third arrives. The standard shape leans into this: it doubles the fifth, B, on three separate strings, so the chord drones more than it pushes.

Esus2 lives around E chords in the keys of E, A and B. Because there is no third, it slides in front of Em just as happily as E, which makes it a useful softener in minor songs too.

Esus2 vs Esus4

Esus4 is the easy one of this pair: take the E shape and move the G♯ up one fret to A, an ordinary open grip at the nut. Esus2 moves the same note down to F♯ instead, which forces the whole shape up to the 4th fret. Esus4 sounds urgent and snaps back to E almost on its own; Esus2 sounds wider and calmer. For a quick decoration on E the sus4 is cheaper; the sus2 is the more open, droning color.

Esus2 chord questions

Why is there no one finger Esus2 like Asus2?

The second, F♯, does not fall on any open string, so it has to be fretted. The closest comfortable place puts the shape at frets 2 to 4 instead of leaving a finger to lift.

Is Esus2 major or minor?

Neither. The G♯ that makes E major is gone, replaced by F♯, so the chord takes no side until it resolves.

Do you strum all six strings in Esus2?

Yes, in the standard shape. Both E strings and the B ring open and all of them belong to the chord.

What is the difference between Esus2 and Esus4?

Esus2 holds F♯, a whole step above E; Esus4 holds A, a fourth above. The sus4 is playable in open position at the nut, the sus2 sits at the 4th fret and sounds less tense.

What does Esus2 resolve to?

E most of the time, when the F♯ moves up to G♯. It resolves to Em just as well, since nothing in it contradicts the minor third.