Chords
Asus2
The 3rd swapped for a 2nd — open and ringing.
A B E · 1 2 5
A1
B2
E5
A sus2 chord replaces the 3rd with the 2nd, leaving an open, airy sound that works over both major and minor contexts.
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Every voicing on the neck
The idea
No 3rd — a 2nd instead
Asus2 is A B E — root, 2nd and 5th, with no 3rd. Like sus4 it has no major/minor identity, but the 2nd gives it a brighter, more open ring.
- Notes: R 2 5 = A B E.
- The 2nd (B) replaces the 3rd.
- Open and airy — neither happy nor sad.
Where it lives
Color over major or minor
Because it has no 3rd, Asus2 can sit over both A major and A minor. Strummers love it for the shimmer it adds to a held chord.
- Works over both A major and A minor.
- Adds a modern, open ring to a plain chord.
- Resolve the 2 up to the 3 for a gentle release.
Trade the 3rd for a 2nd and the chord opens up — bright, ambiguous and equally at home in major or minor.
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