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A♭ suspended 2nd chord on guitar (A♭sus2)
Also called or written A♭sus2 or A♭
A♭ suspended 2nd contains A♭, B♭, and E♭. The 11th fret shape is an intermediate barre chord that requires a full index finger across three strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 2, 5
- Root positionA♭–B♭–E♭A♭sus2×-11-13-13-11-11
- First inversionB♭–E♭–A♭A♭sus2/B♭6-6-6-8-×-×
- Second inversionE♭–A♭–B♭A♭sus2/E♭11-11-13-13-11-11
How do you play an A♭ suspended 2nd chord on guitar?
A♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 11th fret as × 11 13 13 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
IntermediateThe index barre must fret the A, B, and high e strings cleanly while the ring and pinky stretch to the 13th fret.
A♭sus2/B♭ inversion · fret 6
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. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
A♭sus2/B♭ inversion · fret 11
A♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 11th fret as × 13 13 13 11 11: barre your index finger across 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. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 2 | B♭ (2) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
A♭sus2/E♭ inversion · 11-11-13-13-11-11
A♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 13 13 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
A♭sus2/E♭ inversion · 11-13-13-13-11-11
A♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 13 13 11 11: barre your index finger across 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.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 2 | B♭ (2) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ suspended 2nd is built from the formula 1, 2, 5. The major second interval between A♭ and B♭ replaces the third, giving the chord its suspended quality. Compare this with A♭ major, which uses C instead of B♭.
What goes wrong with A♭ suspended 2nd?
- Letting the 6th string ring through adds an E that is not part of A♭ suspended 2nd.
- Flattening the pinky so it touches the 2nd string and deadens the barre note.
When to use it
A♭ suspended 2nd works in A♭ major progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭, the I–IV–V–I. It also fits the I–V–vi–IV in A♭ major: A♭–E♭–F minor–D♭. Use it in gospel, R&B, and rock ballads when you want a suspended color before resolving to A♭ major.
Changing to and from A♭ suspended 2nd
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 10th fret to reach G suspended 2nd.
- Move to A♭ major by lifting the pinky and placing the middle finger on the 3rd string, 13th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 11th fret position is the standard barre shape. The A♭sus2/A♯ inversions put the second in the bass, creating a softer, less grounded sound. The A♭sus2/D♯ inversions put the fifth in the bass, giving a more stable but still suspended sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How do I write A♭ suspended 2nd?
A♭ suspended 2nd is written as A♭ or A♭sus2. The ASCII root spelling is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ suspended 2nd and A♭ add 9?
A♭ suspended 2nd omits the third entirely, leaving only A♭, B♭, and E♭. A♭ add 9 includes the major third C along with the ninth B♭, so it sounds fuller and more resolved.
Can A♭ suspended 2nd be used in place of A♭ minor?
A♭ suspended 2nd has no third, so it is neither major nor minor. It can substitute for A♭ minor in some contexts, but it will sound more open and less dark.