Also written A♭sus2 or A♭
A♭ suspended 2nd contains A♭, B♭, and E♭. The default voicing places B♭ in the bass, giving the chord a soft, second-inversion float.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A♭ suspended 2nd is built from the formula 1, 2, 5. The Major 2nd between A♭ and B♭ replaces the third, creating an open, unresolved quality. Compare with A♭ major, which uses a Major 3rd instead.
A♭ suspended 2nd works as a passing chord in A♭ major, especially in the I–IV–V–I progression: A♭ major–D♭ major–E♭ major–A♭ major. Its open sound suits jazz, gospel, and R&B bass lines.
The 6th-fret voicing puts B♭ in the bass, which is useful when the chord needs to lead to E♭. The 11th-fret voicing puts E♭ in the bass and is easier to reach in mid-neck positions.
A♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Tip — The index barre must hold three strings at the 6th fret while the pinky reaches the 8th fret on the G string.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
A♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 13 13: index finger on the E string at fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 13, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 13 | 2 | B♭ (2) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
A♭ suspended 2nd is written as A♭sus2 or A♭. On a keyboard, type Ab because the ♭ symbol is not available. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ suspended 2nd replaces the third with a Major 2nd (B♭), while A♭ suspended 4th replaces it with a Perfect 4th (D♭). The sus2 sounds brighter and more open; the sus4 has a stronger pull to resolve.
A♭ suspended 2nd omits the third entirely, leaving A♭, B♭, and E♭. A♭ add 9 includes the major third (C) along with the ninth (B♭), so it has a fuller, more consonant sound.