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The Asus2 chord on guitar, open and easy

Asus2 is one of the easiest chords on the guitar: two fingers, and three strings ringing open. It is built on A, but it has no third, so it never says major or minor. B sits where the third should be, and the chord sounds open, airy and slightly unfinished. Players use it to make a progression around A breathe without changing the harmony.

Asus2 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: A suspended second
  • Symbol: Asus2
  • Notes: A, B, E

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
Asus2, open x02200 A E A B E Two fingers, three open strings. The A chord with the B string left open.
Asus2, four strings xx7455 A B E A Root on the D string, A on top. A compact voicing for picking or a second guitar part.
Asus2, twelfth fret x 12 14 14 12 12 A E A B E The open shape an octave up: first finger barred at 12 across the top five strings, second and third fingers on D and G at 14.
Asus2, open x 0 2 2 0 0 · · 2 3 · · fingers
Asus2, four strings x x 7 4 5 5 · · 4 1 2 3 fingers
Asus2, twelfth fret x 12 14 14 12 12

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

Asus2 on the neck: every A, B, E

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Asus2: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Asus2.

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
2 - B
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
3 - G
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
4 - D
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
5 - A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
6 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E

How to play Asus2, step by step

  1. Second finger on the fourth string (D) at fret 2: E, the fifth.
  2. Third finger on the third string (G) at fret 2: A, the root.
  3. Leave the second string (B) open: B, the second. This is the note that makes the chord sus2.
  4. Open A string for the root in the bass, open high E on top. Do not strum the low E.

Press close to the frets with the fingertips, without squeezing. If an open string goes dead, fix the angle of the fingers before you add pressure. Then play the strings one by one: the open B should ring as clearly as the rest.

If you hold A with three fingers in a row on the D, G and B strings, Asus2 is simply A with the finger on the B string lifted. Rocking that finger on and off is the most common use of the chord.

Asus2, A and Am: one string decides

The three shapes are identical on every string but the B string. That makes them the best ear exercise there is: one note changes, and the whole mood of the chord goes with it.

Chord Shape Notes The B string plays
A x02220 A, C#, E C#, the major third: bright, settled
Am x02210 A, C, E C, the minor third: darker, sad
Asus2 x02200 A, B, E B, the second: open, in between
Asus4 x02230 A, D, E D, the fourth: tense, wants to fall back to C#

Play them in a row, x02220, x02210, x02200, x02230, and only the B string moves: fret 2, 1, 0, 3. Do not confuse Asus2 with Aadd9, which keeps the C# and adds B on top of it.

Progressions with Asus2

Work each one with the online metronome at 60 BPM. The goal is a steady strumming hand while the fretting hand changes the color.

Progression Shapes What it does
A, Asus2, A x02220, x02200, x02220 The classic decoration: a moving rhythm on one chord.
Asus2, Am x02200 to x02210 From open to minor: the B steps up to C.
Asus2, A, Asus4, A x02200, x02220, x02230, x02220 The whole suspended family around A, one fret at a time.
A, Asus2, D, E x02220, x02200, xx0232, 022100 I, IV, V in A with a breath before the D.

The same idea works on other roots: Dsus2 and Esus2 are just as easy in open position.

Common mistakes and the fix

Mistake Why it matters Fix
Strumming the low E E is in the chord, but in the bass it muddies the root Start the strum on the A string.
Muting the open B That B is the note that makes it sus2 Arch the third finger so it clears the B string.
Leaving a finger on the B string The C# comes back and you are playing A Compare x02220 and x02200 slowly until you hear it.
Squeezing too hard The hand tires and notes go sharp Fingertips close to the frets, relaxed wrist.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Asus2 on guitar?
Play x02200: second finger on the D string at fret 2, third finger on the G string at fret 2, and leave the A, B and high E strings open. Start the strum on the A string and keep the low E quiet.
What notes are in an Asus2 chord?
Three: A, B and E. Root, second and fifth. B takes the place of the third, so there is no C# and no C.
Is Asus2 major or minor?
Neither. Major or minor is decided by the third, C# for A major and C for A minor, and Asus2 has no third at all. That is why it can stand in for either one, and why it sounds open and unresolved.
What is the difference between Asus2 and Aadd9?
Aadd9 keeps the C# and adds B, so it is still a major chord. Asus2 removes the C# and puts B in its place. Compare x02420 (Aadd9) and x02200 (Asus2): the first is bright, the second floats.
Why does my Asus2 sound like A?
The B string is not open. Either the third finger is touching it, or you are playing it at fret 2 out of habit from the A chord. Arch the fingers so the B string rings free: that open B is the whole color of the chord.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.