Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 4th fret of the G string (4th).
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the C string (3rd).
- Let the E and A strings ring open.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 4 | index | B4 | second |
| 3rd (C) | fret 4 | middle | E4 | fifth |
| 2nd (E) | open | — | E4 | fifth |
| 1st (A) | open | — | A4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
2 other ways to play Asus2
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 4452A shape at the 2nd fret · four fingers
- 9977A barre at the 7th fret and two more fingers
Holding it cleanly
2 strings ring open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The notes in Asus2
A suspended second chord is built from the root (1), 2 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From A that gives A – B – E. The third is replaced by the second, so it is neither major nor minor — open and unresolved.
The same root, other chords: A major, Am, A7, Amaj7, Am7, Asus4, Adim, Aaug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Asus2 chord?
A suspended second is three notes: A – B – E — the root, 2 and 5 of the A major scale. On ukulele the shape 4400 sounds B4, E4, E4 and A4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Asus2 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 4400 — an open-position shape, with two fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Asus2 and A?
Asus2 replaces the third of A with the second (B), so it is neither major nor minor. It is usually played for a beat or two before or after the plain A chord.