A♭sus2 chord on ukulele

A♭sus2 is A♭, B♭ and E♭. The usual shape is 1-3-4-1. Tap Play, then slow it down.

1-3-4-1 · movable · medium

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

How to play A♭sus2 on ukulele

Shape 1, 1-3-4-1, reading from the G string on the left:

Put your index finger on the G string at the 1st fret, which is A♭.
Put your middle finger on the A string at the 1st fret, which is B♭.
Put your ring finger on the C string at the 3rd fret, which is E♭.
Put your pinky finger on the E string at the 4th fret, which is A♭.

Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
The shape stretches across four frets. Bring your thumb lower behind the neck to open the hand up.
Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play A♭sus2

8-8-6-6: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. A different set of strings gives a different color of the same chord.

A♭sus2 the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Gsus2 shape (0-2-3-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Dsus2 shape (2-2-0-0). The chord sounds as A♭sus2 because the capo raises every string by a half step.

Changing from A♭sus2 to the chords around it

Songs rarely hold A♭sus2 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

A♭ (resolves up to the third): A♭sus2 (1-3-4-1) to A♭ (1-3-4-3): your index and pinky fingers stay put, the middle finger goes to the C string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret. Listen for A♭ and E♭, which stay put while the rest moves. A♭ on ukulele
C♯ (IV in A♭ major): A♭sus2 (1-3-4-1) to C♯ (6-5-4-4): move the index finger to the E string, 4th fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 4th fret, the ring finger goes to the C string, 5th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: A♭. C♯ on ukulele
E♭ (V in A♭ major): A♭sus2 (1-3-4-1) to E♭ (0-3-3-1): move the index finger to the A string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the C string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the E string at the same fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for B♭ and E♭, which stay put while the rest moves. E♭ on ukulele

A♭sus2 replaces the third with the second, so it is neither major nor minor. All 3 notes of A♭sus2 fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. The open second in A♭sus2 usually rises to the third, so play A♭sus2 then A♭ and listen for it to settle. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting A♭sus2 under your fingers

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: A♭, E♭, A♭, B♭. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate 1-3-4-1 and 8-8-6-6, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Written G♯sus2, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Where A♭sus2 shows up

A♭sus2 on guitar and piano

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

Related A♭ chords on ukulele

Other suspended second chords

A♭sus2 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in A♭sus2 on ukulele?

A♭, B♭ and E♭. In the 1-3-4-1 shape the strings play A♭ (G string), E♭ (C string), A♭ (E string) and B♭ (A string), so A♭ is doubled.

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

A♭sus2 has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with 1-3-4-1. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is A♭sus2 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not the usual shape: 1-3-4-1 needs no barre.

Which string does A♭sus2 start on?

In the 1-3-4-1 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 1st fret, which is A♭, the root.

Every shape above plays only A♭, B♭ and E♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.