A Suspended 2nd Guitar Chord — Drop C
Guitar chord voicings in Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D)
A Suspended 2nd Voicings in Drop C
A Suspended 2nd filtered by fret:
A Suspended 2nd in Drop C Tuning — Guide
The A Suspended 2nd chord is made up of the following notes: A, B, E.
Intervals: 1P, 2M, 5P.
The A Suspended 2nd chord in Drop C tuning (C-G-C-F-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
A sus2 substitutes the third for a major second, giving the notes A, B, E with intervals 1P, 2M, 5P. Like its sus4 sibling, this chord avoids declaring major or minor, but the second degree lends it a more modern, spacious, and airy character. Sus2 chords are favorites in alternative rock, post-rock, and worship music, where their openness creates an atmospheric, expansive harmonic palette.
How to Play A Suspended 2nd
On guitar, the most common voicing for A sus2 is x-0-2-2-0-0 — open position with a spacious, modern sound that works in many genres. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
A Suspended 2nd in Progressions
A sus2 works as an alternative to both A major and A minor, adding ambiguity and openness. It is popular in verse sections of pop and rock songs, where its neutral quality allows the melody to define the emotional direction.
Common Substitutions
A major, Asus4, or Esus4 provide alternative voicings with a similar open character.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.