A♭ sus2 (A♭sus2) chord on mandolin

Looking for the A♭sus2 chord on mandolin? It is a sus2 chord (a major second instead of the third), made of three notes: A♭ – B♭ – E♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ sus2 (G♯sus2).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 3medium

Position 6medium

Position 8medium

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Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the A♭sus2 chord sounds like

In a sus2 chord a major second replaces the third, so it is neither major nor minor: it sounds open and floating. It often decorates a major or minor chord.

Notes of the A♭sus2 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
2	B♭	major second (2 semitones)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 4, little finger (A♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 1, ring finger (B♭4)
String 3 (D): fret 1, middle finger (E♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)

Position 3

String 1 (E): fret 6, little finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, little finger (E♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, little finger (A♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭3)

Position 6

String 1 (E): fret 6, ring finger (B♭5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, middle finger (E♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, index finger (A♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 8, little finger (E♭4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭sus2 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A♭ major: Isus2 (tonic)
D♭ major: Vsus2 (dominant)
E♭ major: IVsus2 (subdominant)
E♭ minor: IVsus2 (subdominant)
G♭ major: IIsus2
B♭ minor: VIIsus2
F minor: IIIsus2
C minor: VIsus2

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭sus2 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭ – resolves the suspension to major
A♭m – or to minor

Same notes

E♭sus4 – the same notes with a different root

Richer versions

A♭add9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A♭9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
A♭m9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
A♭maj9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭sus2 chord?

A♭, B♭, E♭. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major second, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play A♭sus2 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the A♭sus2 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭sus2 (also written Absus2), and its full name is A♭ sus2.