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E♭ suspended 2nd chord on guitar (E♭sus2)
Also called or written E♭sus2 or E♭
E♭ suspended 2nd contains E♭, F, and B♭. The 6th 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 positionE♭–F–B♭E♭sus2×-6-8-8-6-6
- First inversionF–B♭–E♭E♭sus2/F1-1-1-3-×-×
- Second inversionB♭–E♭–FE♭sus2/B♭6-6-8-8-6-6
How do you play an E♭ suspended 2nd chord on guitar?
E♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
IntermediateThe index barre must fret the A, B, and high e strings cleanly while the ring and pinky stretch to the 8th fret.
E♭sus2/F inversion · fret 1
E♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 3 × ×: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭sus2/F inversion · fret 6
E♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 6th fret as × 8 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 2 | F (2) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
E♭sus2/F inversion · fret 13
E♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 13th fret as 13 13 13 15 × ×: barre your index finger across fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 15 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
E♭sus2/B♭ inversion
E♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ suspended 2nd is built from the formula 1, 2, 5. The major second interval between E♭ and F replaces the third, giving the chord its suspended quality. Compare this with E♭ major, which uses G instead of F.
What goes wrong with E♭ suspended 2nd?
- Letting the 6th string ring through adds an E that is not part of E♭ suspended 2nd.
- Flattening the pinky so it touches the 2nd string and deadens the barre note.
When to use it
E♭ suspended 2nd works in E♭ major progressions like E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭, the I–IV–V–I. It also fits the I–V–vi–IV in E♭ major: E♭–B♭–C minor–A♭. Use it in gospel, R&B, and rock ballads when you want a suspended color before resolving to E♭ major.
Changing to and from E♭ suspended 2nd
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 5th fret to reach D suspended 2nd.
- Move to E♭ major by lifting the pinky and placing the middle finger on the 3rd string, 8th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret position is the standard barre shape. The E♭sus2/F inversions put the second in the bass, creating a softer, less grounded sound. The E♭sus2/B♭ inversion puts the fifth in the bass, giving a more stable but still suspended sound.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How do I write E♭ suspended 2nd?
E♭ suspended 2nd is written as E♭ or E♭sus2. The ASCII root spelling is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ suspended 2nd and E♭ add 9?
E♭ suspended 2nd omits the third entirely, leaving only E♭, F, and B♭. E♭ add 9 includes the major third G along with the ninth F, so it sounds fuller and more resolved.
Can E♭ suspended 2nd be used in place of E♭ minor?
E♭ suspended 2nd has no third, so it is neither major nor minor. It can substitute for E♭ minor in some contexts, but it will sound more open and less dark.