Asus2 Piano Chord

Asus2 is the A suspended second chord. It has three notes: A, B and E. All three are white keys, where A major needs a black one.

1A2B5EC3C4

A at the bottom, then B and E. Right hand 1-2-5, left hand 5-3-1. Every key here is white.

How to play Asus2 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.

Like Dsus2, this chord is easier than its major version because the black key is replaced by a white one. It is a useful landing place while the major shape is still new.

Inversions of Asus2

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Asus2; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionB E A
Asus2 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
Asus2 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

You have played C sharp
That belongs to A major. Asus2 replaces it with B, a white key one step above the root.
The chord sounds muddy
A and B are adjacent keys. Below middle C that closeness blurs, so play the chord higher.
The hand feels cramped
With the thumb on A and the next note only one key away, the index finger is often more comfortable than the middle one.

What makes it an Asus2

A · B · E 1 2 5

Asus2 is A, B and E: the root, the second and the fifth. There is no third, so the chord is neither major nor minor.

It sits naturally in the keys of A, E and D. Guitar based pop uses it heavily, which is why a pianist accompanying that music meets it often.

Asus2 vs A

A major has C sharp; Asus2 has B. One is a black key and one is white, so the two chords feel as different as they sound.

The sus2 is open and unresolved where the major is bright and settled, and it does not have to move anywhere to make sense.

Questions about Asus2

What does sus mean in Asus2?

Suspended. The third of the chord is taken out and replaced by another note, so the chord is neither major nor minor. In Asus2 the third is replaced by B, the second.

Which notes are in a Asus2 chord on piano?

A, B and E.

What is the difference between Asus2 and Asus4?

Which note replaces the third. Asus2 uses the second, one step above the root; Asus4 uses the fourth, one step below the fifth. Sus2 sounds open and airy, sus4 sounds tense and wants to resolve.

Is Asus2 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 major or A minor.

Chords to learn next

Other A chords