C Sus4
Open PositionA low Csus4 (x-3-3-0-1-1): ring on the A string at fret 3 (C), pinky on the D string at fret 3 (F), G string open (G), index barring the B and high e strings at fret 1 (C and F). Mute the low E.
C Sus4
3rd Fret · A-Shape BarreMoveable A-shape sus4 rooted on C at the 3rd fret — index barres fret 3 from the A string up, ring and pinky add the 4th and 5th at fret 5, pinky reaches F on the B string at fret 6. Mute the low E. Slide this shape to play any sus4.
C Sus4
8th Fret · E-Shape BarreA fully moveable E-shape sus4 at the 8th fret — index barres all six strings at fret 8, ring and pinky add the 4th on the D and G strings at fret 10. Root C is on the low E string.
Hear the suspension
Play C major, then Csus4, then back to C. The F in Csus4 wants to fall to the E of C major — that pull is the whole point of a suspended chord.
No 3rd means no mood
Because Csus4 has no E (the 3rd), it sounds neither happy nor sad — just tense and unresolved until it lands on C.
Keep the open G ringing
In the open shape the G string stays open — arch your fingers so it sounds cleanly against the fretted notes.
Learn the moveable barre
The 8-8-10-10-8-8 E-shape is fully moveable: slide it up two frets for Dsus4 or down to fret 1 for Fsus4.
Mute the low E
The open and A-shape voicings start from the A string. Let the side of your index finger rest against the low E to keep it quiet.
About the Csus4 Chord on Guitar
The Csus4 chord is built from three notes: C (the root), F (the perfect 4th), and G (the perfect 5th). It is a C major triad with the 3rd suspended — the E is replaced by the F a half step above it. With no 3rd, Csus4 sounds tense and unresolved, which is why it is so often used as a colour right before resolving back to plain C major. This page covers three voicings, from a low open shape to a moveable A-shape barre and an E-shape barre up the neck. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 Csus4 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Open voicing, moveable A-shape barre, and an E-shape barre
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 3 notes that form the C Sus4 chord and their role in the major scale.
Every major chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth.