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Suspended 4th Chord (sus4) on guitar

A sus4 chord swaps the third for the fourth, a tense sound that wants to fall back to the major chord.

Written asCsus4
Formula1 4 5
Notes in Csus4C F G
Semitones from the root0, 5, 7

About the Suspended 4th Chord

Csus4 is C, F and G. The 4th sits a half step above the major 3rd and pulls down to it.

Dsus4 to D and Asus4 to A are classic open chord moves in rock and folk songs.

In older music the 4th is held over from the chord before, then resolves to the 3rd.

Intervals

  • 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
  • 4: Perfect 4th, 5 semitones above the root
  • 5: Perfect 5th, 7 semitones above the root

Suspended 4th Chord charts in all 12 keys

Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.

Csus4: C F G

Csus4×○3412
x33011
Csus43×11341
x33563
Csus48113411
88(10)(10)88

Gsus4: G C D

Gsus4○○2314
330013
Gsus4113411
335533

Dsus4: D G A

Dsus4××○123
xx0233
Dsus45×11341
x55785
Dsus410113411
(10)(10)(12)(12)(10)(10)

Asus4: A D E

Asus4×○○○12
x00230
Asus45113411
557755

Esus4: E A B

Esus4○○○○12
002200
Esus47×11341
x779(10)7

Bsus4: B E F#

Bsus4×11341
x22452
Bsus47113411
779977

F#sus4: F# B C#

F#sus4113411
224422

C#sus4: C# F# G#

C#sus4×34122
x44122
C#sus44×11341
x44674
C#sus49113411
99(11)(11)99

G#sus4: G# C# D#

G#sus44113411
446644

Ebsus4: Eb Ab Bb

Ebsus4××1344
xx1344
Ebsus46×11341
x66896
Ebsus43×34122
x66344

Bbsus4: Bb Eb F

Bbsus4×11341
x11341
Bbsus46113411
668866

Fsus4: F Bb C

Fsus4113411
113311

Scales to play over Csus4

Each of these scales, started on the root of Csus4, holds every note of the chord:

More chord types