Esus2sus4

Esus2sus4 is E, F#, A and B, a suspended second and fourth. The shape this page opens on is written 002202, lowest string first.

Also written Esus2/4 or E suspended 2nd and 4th. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for Esus2sus4 on the guitar, and 29 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Esus2sus4 belongs to C# minor (the ♭III), D major (the ii), E major (the I), E minor (the i), F# minor (the ♭VII), G major (the vi), A major (the V) and B minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 002202, 022202, x74455, x77977, 12-12-9-11-x-x, 12-12-14-14-12-14.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Esus2sus4 has xx2202, 2222xx, xx4455, xx7977, 7979xx, x-9-9-9-10-x, x-x-14-14-12-14, 14-14-14-14-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Esus2sus4 has 2x220x, x2x252, 5x445x, x7x475, x-9-x-9-10-7, 7x797x, 12-x-9-11-10-x, x-12-x-11-12-12.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Esus2sus4 has 0044xx, 00420x, 0x4200, x04400, xx2200, 002400.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.