Esus2: E Suspended 2nd Piano Chord

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

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

Construction

E Suspended 2nd = Root + Major 2nd + Perfect 5th = E, F♯, B

Note	Interval	Degree
E	Root	1
F♯	Major 2nd	2
B	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

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

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

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

E Suspended 2nd Inversions

Root position
E – F♯ – B
1st inversion (Esus2/F♯)
F♯ – B – E
2nd inversion (Esus2/B)
B – E – F♯

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 E Major

These are the triads built on each degree of E Major:

I — E Major (major)

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

Scales That Include the E Suspended 2nd

G Major (vi)
D Major (ii)
A Major (V)
E Major (I)
B Major (IV)
E Minor (i)
B Minor (iv)
F# Minor (VII)

Same Notes, Other Names

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

B Suspended 4th→

E Suspended 2nd : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the E Suspended 2nd chord on piano?

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

What notes are in the E Suspended 2nd chord?

The E Suspended 2nd chord (Esus2) contains: E (root), F# (major 2nd), and B (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 E Suspended 2nd differ from E Major or E Minor?

Both E Major and E Minor have a third (E or Eb for C-based chords). E Suspended 2nd replaces that third with a major 2nd (F#). 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 F# to the major or minor third). In pop music, suspended chords often remain unresolved for their pleasant, neutral sound.

How is E 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. Esus2 works before or after a E 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 E Suspended 2nd and E Major together?

Yes: alternating between Esus2 and E Major is a very common pop technique. The movement E–F#–B → E–(major 3rd)–B creates a shimmer with only one note changing. This single-note movement is the basis of many recognisable piano and guitar parts.

E 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	E3 F♯3 B3	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	F♯3 B3 E4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	B3 E4 F♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	E2 B2 F♯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	E3 F♯3	2	28 mm	omits B	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	E	E3, F♯3, B3	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: Esus2/F♯	F♯	F♯3, B3, E4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: Esus2/B	B	B3, E4, F♯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
Eadd9	adds G♯	1 3 5 9	3
E	F♯ becomes G♯	1 3 5	2
Em	F♯ becomes G	1 ♭3 5	2
Esus4	F♯ becomes A	1 4 5	2
Emaj7	F♯ becomes G♯, D♯	1 3 5 7	2
E7	F♯ becomes G♯, D	1 3 5 ♭7	2
Em7	F♯ becomes G, D	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
EmMaj7	F♯ becomes G, D♯	1 ♭3 5 7	2
E7sus4	F♯ becomes A, D	1 4 5 ♭7	2
E6	F♯ becomes G♯, C♯	1 3 5 6	2
Em6	F♯ becomes G, C♯	1 ♭3 5 6	2
Edim	F♯, B becomes G, B♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
E3	52	164.81 Hz
F♯3	54	185.00 Hz
B3	59	246.94 Hz

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

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {4, 6, 11}
Normal order: [4, 6, 11]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
E to F♯	Major second	2	2
E to B	Perfect fifth	7	5
F♯ to B	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 E, 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.

E Suspended 2nd

Fingerings

E Suspended 2nd: notes and degrees