Esus2 chord on guitar

Esus2 is E, F♯ and B. The easiest shape is 0-2-4-4-0-0. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

0-2-4-4-0-0 · open · easy

Notes: E · F♯ · B
Formula: 1 · 2 · 5
First shape: 0-2-4-4-0-0

How to play Esus2 on guitar

Shape 1, 0-2-4-4-0-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

Put your index finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, which is B.
Put your middle finger on the D string at the 4th fret, which is F♯.
Put your ring finger on the G string at the 4th fret, which is B.
The open low E, B and high E strings add E, B and E; don't touch them.

If an open string sounds dead, a fingertip is leaning on it. Come down more on the tips, with your knuckles bent.

Other ways to play Esus2

x-7-9-9-7-7: barre shape at the 7th fret, medium. This is the open Asus2 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-x-14-11-12-12: movable shape at the 11th fret, medium. Fewer strings, so it sounds lighter and is quicker to change to.

Esus2 the capo way

A capo turns an open chord into Esus2: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Dsus2 shape (x-x-0-2-3-0), capo on the 4th fret and play the open Csus2 shape (x-3-0-0-3-3) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open Asus2 shape (x-0-2-2-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Esus2 chord changes

Songs rarely hold Esus2 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

E (resolves up to the third): Esus2 (0-2-4-4-0-0) to E (0-2-2-1-0-0): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share E and B, which is why the change sounds smooth. E on guitar
A (IV in E major): Esus2 (0-2-4-4-0-0) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the B string, 2nd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share E, which is why the change sounds smooth. A on guitar
B (V in E major): Esus2 (0-2-4-4-0-0) to B (x-2-4-4-4-2): your middle and ring fingers stay put, the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. Listen for F♯ and B, which stay put while the rest moves. B on guitar

Esus2 replaces the third with the second, so it is neither major nor minor. The open second in Esus2 usually rises to the third, so play Esus2 then E and listen for it to settle. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

A short Esus2 drill

Before strumming, play 0-2-4-4-0-0 note by note: E then B then F♯ then B then B then E. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to x-7-9-9-7-7 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Keys and progressions with Esus2

Esus2 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try Esus2 on ukulele or Esus2 on piano, or compare them on the Esus2 chord page.

Close to Esus2

Other suspended second chords

Esus2 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Esus2 on guitar?

E, F♯ and B. In the 0-2-4-4-0-0 shape the strings play E (low E string, open), B (A string), F♯ (D string), B (G string), B (B string, open) and E (high E string, open), so E and B are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Esus2 on guitar?

0-2-4-4-0-0, shape 1 above. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is Esus2 a barre chord on guitar?

Not the usual shape: 0-2-4-4-0-0 needs no barre. There are barre versions further up the neck, shown below it.

Which string does Esus2 start on?

In the 0-2-4-4-0-0 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string, open, which is E, the root.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Esus2. Updated September 2026.