Absus2 Piano Chord

Absus2 is the A flat suspended second chord. It has three notes: A flat, B flat and E flat. All three are black keys, which makes it one of the easiest shapes on the piano.

1A♭2B♭5E♭C3C4

A♭ at the bottom, then B♭ and E♭. Right hand 1-2-5, left hand 5-3-1. The black keys are A♭ and B♭ and E♭.

How to play Absus2 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the A♭ below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): A♭
  3. Index finger (2): B♭
  4. Little finger (5): E♭
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 1 an octave lower, or just A♭ on its own as a bass note.

Every note here is black, so play well into the keyboard. The keys are raised and evenly spaced, and the hand falls into shape without any adjustment.

Inversions of Absus2

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Absus2; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionB♭ E♭ A♭
Absus2 piano chord diagram, first inversion, B♭ E♭ A♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A second in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionE♭ A♭ B♭
Absus2 piano chord diagram, second inversion, E♭ A♭ B♭
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

A finger drops onto a white key
Nothing in this chord is white. Move the hand further in so no finger is near the front edge.
You have played C
That belongs to A flat major. Absus2 replaces it with B flat, the black key one whole step above the root.
The notes are uneven
Black keys are narrow and need a central strike. Aim each fingertip at the middle of its key.

What makes it an Absus2

A♭ · B♭ · E♭ 1 2 5

Absus2 is A flat, B flat and E flat: the root, the second and the fifth. All three happen to be black keys.

It belongs to the keys of A flat, E flat and D flat, which are piano and vocal keys rather than guitar ones.

Absus2 vs Ab

A flat major has C, a white key; Absus2 has B flat, a black one. So the sus2 is the all black chord and the major is the mixed one.

That makes this one of the rare cases where the suspended chord is physically easier than the major it comes from.

Questions about Absus2

What does sus mean in Absus2?

Suspended. The third of the chord is taken out and replaced by another note, so the chord is neither major nor minor. In Absus2 the third is replaced by B flat, the second.

Which notes are in a Absus2 chord on piano?

A flat, B flat and E flat.

What is the difference between Absus2 and A flatsus4?

Which note replaces the third. Absus2 uses the second, one step above the root; A flatsus4 uses the fourth, one step below the fifth. Sus2 sounds open and airy, sus4 sounds tense and wants to resolve.

Is Absus2 major or minor?

Neither. The third is the note that decides, and a suspended chord does not have one. That is why it can sit in front of either A flat major or A flat minor.

Chords to learn next

Other Ab chords