Esus2 chord on piano
Esus2 is E, F♯ and B. E sits just right of the pair of black keys. Hit Play and watch each key light as it sounds.
root position · E–F♯–B · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E · F♯ · B
- Formula
- 1 · 2 · 5
How to play Esus2 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from E: 2 half steps up to F♯ then 5 half steps up to B. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 3 on F♯ and 5 on B.
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on F♯ and 1 on B.
- On the keyboard it's white, black and white keys.
Esus2 inversions
- root position: E–F♯–B. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: F♯–B–E, F♯ lowest. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: B–E–F♯ (B in the bass). RH 1-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Moving between Esus2 and its neighbours
These are the changes you'll meet most often with Esus2, using the first shape of each chord.
- E (resolves up to the third): Esus2 to E: play E in root position (E–G♯–B) and E and B stay under the same fingers, while F♯ moves up to G♯. E on piano
- A (IV in E major): Esus2 to A: play A in 2nd inversion (E–A–C♯) and E stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to A and B up to C♯. A on piano
- B (V in E major): Esus2 to B: play B in 1st inversion (D♯–F♯–B) and F♯ and B stay under the same fingers, while E moves down to D♯. B on piano
Esus2 replaces the third with the second, so it is neither major nor minor. The open second in Esus2 usually rises to the third, so play Esus2 then E and listen for it to settle. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Getting Esus2 under your fingers
Start with a broken chord, E F♯ B F♯ E, then play it solid. Next, walk up through E–F♯–B → F♯–B–E → B–E–F♯ without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of Esus2
Esus2 is a suspended second chord, 1–2–5 from E. Root position, from the bottom: how Esus2 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| F♯ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | major second |
| B | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Esus2 in context
Esus2 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Esus2 on guitar and Esus2 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Close to Esus2
Other suspended second chords
Esus2 on piano: questions
What notes are in Esus2 on piano?
E, F♯ and B: E (white key), F♯ (black key) and B (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play Esus2 on piano?
Press E, F♯ and B together (1 black, 2 white). Right hand: 1 on E, 3 on F♯ and 5 on B.
What are the inversions of Esus2?
1st inversion (F♯–B–E) and 2nd inversion (B–E–F♯), after root position (E–F♯–B). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Esus2 look like on the keyboard?
white, black and white keys.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E, F♯ and B and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.