A♭sus2 chord on guitar

A♭sus2 is A♭, B♭ and E♭. The usual shape is 4-1-1-3-4-x. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

4-1-1-3-4-x · partial barre · medium

Notes: A♭ · B♭ · E♭
Formula: 1 · 2 · 5
First shape: 4-1-1-3-4-x

How to play A♭sus2 on guitar

Shape 1, 4-1-1-3-4-x, reading from the low E string on the left:

Barre the 1st fret with your index finger, covering the 2 strings from the A string to the D string.
Put your middle finger on the G string at the 3rd fret, which is B♭.
Put your ring finger on the low E string at the 4th fret, which is A♭.
Put your pinky finger on the B string at the 4th fret, which is E♭.
Mute the high E string with the side of a finger so it doesn't ring.

Only part of the finger needs to press here, so flatten just the tip section across those strings and keep the rest of the hand relaxed.
This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.
This one reaches. Let the thumb slide lower on the neck and the stretch gets noticeably easier.

Other ways to play A♭sus2

x-11-13-13-11-11: barre shape at the 11th fret, medium. This is the open Asus2 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-x-6-8-9-6: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.

Capo shortcuts for A♭sus2

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 6th fret and play the open Dsus2 shape (x-x-0-2-3-0). The chord sounds as A♭sus2 because the capo raises every string by 6 half steps.

A♭sus2 chord changes

The chords A♭sus2 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

A♭ (resolves up to the third): A♭sus2 (4-1-1-3-4-x) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 5th fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 6th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared notes: A♭ and E♭. A♭ on guitar
C♯ (IV in A♭ major): A♭sus2 (4-1-1-3-4-x) to C♯ (x-4-6-6-6-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 6th fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 6th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. A♭ carries over from one chord to the other. C♯ on guitar
E♭ (V in A♭ major): A♭sus2 (4-1-1-3-4-x) to E♭ (x-x-1-3-4-3): your middle and pinky fingers stay put, move the index finger to the D string, 1st fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd fret. Shared notes: B♭ and E♭. E♭ on guitar

A♭sus2 replaces the third with the second, so it is neither major nor minor. The open second in A♭sus2 usually rises to the third, so play A♭sus2 then A♭ and listen for it to settle. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

A short A♭sus2 drill

Before strumming, play 4-1-1-3-4-x note by note: A♭ then B♭ then E♭ then B♭ then E♭. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to x-11-13-13-11-11 and back four times without looking at your hand.

You may also see it as G♯sus2; nothing changes on the guitar.

Keys and progressions with A♭sus2

A♭sus2 on piano and ukulele

A♭sus2 on piano and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to A♭sus2

Other suspended second chords

A♭sus2 on guitar: questions

What notes are in A♭sus2 on guitar?

A♭, B♭ and E♭. In the 4-1-1-3-4-x shape the strings play A♭ (low E string), B♭ (A string), E♭ (D string), B♭ (G string) and E♭ (B string), so B♭ and E♭ are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play A♭sus2 on guitar?

In standard tuning A♭sus2 can't use open strings. Begin with x-x-6-8-9-6. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is A♭sus2 a barre chord on guitar?

Not usually: 4-1-1-3-4-x needs no barre. The barre versions come later, higher on the neck.

Which string does A♭sus2 start on?

In the 4-1-1-3-4-x shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 4th fret, which is A♭, the root.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside A♭sus2. Updated September 2026.