D♯sus2: D♯/E♭ Suspended 2nd Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	D♯, E♯, A♯	1-3-5
Left	D♯, E♯, A♯	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	D♯	Perfect unison	0
2	E♯	Major second	2
5	A♯	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

D♯ Suspended 2nd = Root + Major 2nd + Perfect 5th = D♯, E♯, A♯

Note	Interval	Degree
D♯	Root	1
E♯	Major 2nd	2
A♯	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
D♯	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
E♯	white	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
A♯	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on D♯, middle finger (3) on E♯, little finger (5) on A♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on D♯, middle finger (3) on E♯, thumb (1) on A♯.

D♯ Suspended 2nd Inversions

Root position
D♯ – E♯ – A♯
1st inversion (D♯sus2/E♯)
E♯ – A♯ – D♯
2nd inversion (D♯sus2/A♯)
A♯ – D♯ – E♯

Key Signature

A Suspended 2nd chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of D♯ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of D♯ Major:

I — D♯ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	D♯ Major	Major
2	ii	E♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	F♯♯ Minor	Minor
4	IV	G♯ Major	Major
5	V	A♯ Major	Major
6	vi	B♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	C♯♯ Diminished	Diminished

Scales That Include the D♯ Suspended 2nd

F# Major (vi)
Db Major (ii)
Ab Major (V)
Eb Major (I)
Bb Major (IV)
G Minor (VI)
C Minor (III)
F Minor (VII)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♯ – E♯ – A♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

A♯ Suspended 4th→

D♯ Suspended 2nd : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the D♯ Suspended 2nd chord on piano?

The D♯ Suspended 2nd chord contains the notes D♯ – E♯ – A♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What is the D# piano chord?

The D# piano chord (written D♯ Suspended 2nd) uses the same keys: D♯ – E♯ – A♯. The # and ♯ symbols name the same black key.

What notes are in the D# Suspended 2nd chord?

The D# Suspended 2nd chord (D#sus2) contains: D# (root), E# (major 2nd), and A# (perfect fifth). The major 2nd replaces the third entirely, there is no major or minor third, giving this chord its open, floating quality.

How does D# Suspended 2nd differ from D# Major or D# Minor?

Both D# Major and D# Minor have a third (E or Eb for C-based chords). D# Suspended 2nd replaces that third with a major 2nd (E#). This suspension creates ambiguity: the chord is neither major nor minor and has a bright, airy sound often used for colour and transition.

What does "suspended" mean in music?

"Suspended" means the third has been replaced (suspended) by another note: in this case, the 2nd degree. The suspension creates tension that traditionally resolves back to the third (moving from E# to the major or minor third). In pop music, suspended chords often remain unresolved for their pleasant, neutral sound.

How is D# Suspended 2nd used in music?

Sus2 chords are widely used in pop, rock, and folk as colour chords that avoid defining major or minor quality. D#sus2 works before or after a D# Major chord in the same harmonic context, creating a shimmer effect. It also appears at phrase endings for an open, unresolved feeling.

What songs use suspended 2nd chords?

Suspended chords are everywhere in pop: Every Breath You Take (Police) uses sus chords throughout. Pinball Wizard (The Who) opens with sus4 chords. Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye) uses sus2 for its characteristically open sound. The floating quality of sus2 chords suits introspective and atmospheric music.

Can I use D# Suspended 2nd and D# Major together?

Yes: alternating between D#sus2 and D# Major is a very common pop technique. The movement D#–E#–A# → D#–(major 3rd)–A# creates a shimmer with only one note changing. This single-note movement is the basis of many recognisable piano and guitar parts.

D♯ Suspended 2nd in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	D♯3 E♯3 A♯3	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E♯3 A♯3 D♯4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	A♯3 D♯4 E♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	D♯2 A♯2 E♯3	14	193 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	D♯3 E♯3	2	28 mm	omits A♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	D♯	D♯3, E♯3, A♯3	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: D♯sus2/E♯	E♯	E♯3, A♯3, D♯4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: D♯sus2/A♯	A♯	A♯3, D♯4, E♯4	6/4	7	96 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
D♯add9	adds F×	1 3 5 9	3
D♯	E♯ becomes F×	1 3 5	2
D♯m	E♯ becomes F♯	1 ♭3 5	2
D♯sus4	E♯ becomes G♯	1 4 5	2
D♯maj7	E♯ becomes F×, C×	1 3 5 7	2
D♯7	E♯ becomes F×, C♯	1 3 5 ♭7	2
D♯m7	E♯ becomes F♯, C♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
D♯mMaj7	E♯ becomes F♯, C×	1 ♭3 5 7	2
D♯7sus4	E♯ becomes G♯, C♯	1 4 5 ♭7	2
D♯6	E♯ becomes F×, B♯	1 3 5 6	2
D♯m6	E♯ becomes F♯, B♯	1 ♭3 5 6	2
D♯dim	E♯, A♯ becomes F♯, A	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
D♯3	51	155.56 Hz
E♯3	53	174.61 Hz
A♯3	58	233.08 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {3, 5, 10}
Normal order: [3, 5, 10]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
D♯ to E♯	Major second	2	2
D♯ to A♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
E♯ to A♯	Perfect fourth	5	5

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a suspended 2nd applied to the root D♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

D♯ Suspended 2nd

Fingerings

D♯ Suspended 2nd: notes and degrees