A sus4 chord is a major (or minor) triad with the 3rd removed and replaced by the 4th. "Sus" is short for suspended — the 3rd that normally decides whether a chord sounds happy (major) or sad (minor) is suspended, so a sus4 sounds neither. With the 3rd gone and the 4th sitting a half step above where the major 3rd would be, the chord takes on a tense, unresolved quality that pulls strongly back down to the plain major chord.

Applied to C: C (root) – F (perfect 4th) – G (perfect 5th). Applied to D: D – G – A. Applied to A: A – D – E.

About this tool

About Sus4 Chords on Guitar

The suspended 4th chord — written "sus4" — is a three-note chord built from the root, the perfect 4th, and the perfect 5th (formula 1 – 4 – 5). Because it has no 3rd, it is neither major nor minor: the 4th creates tension that wants to resolve back down to the 3rd of the major chord. Sus4 chords are everywhere in folk, rock, and pop guitar, where the open Dsus4, Asus4, and Esus4 shapes add a moment of suspense before landing on the home chord. The classic move is to hammer between a major chord and its sus4 — the open Dsus4 → D figure is one of the most recognisable sounds in acoustic guitar. Every sus4 here is fully moveable as an E-shape or A-shape barre, so once you know one shape you can play all 12.

01Built from 3 notes: root, perfect 4th, perfect 5th (formula 1 – 4 – 5)
02No 3rd — neither major nor minor, so it sounds tense and unresolved
03Open Dsus4 (xx0233), Asus4 (x02230), and Esus4 (022200) are folk and rock staples
04Resolves strongly back to the plain major chord of the same root
05The E-shape and A-shape barre forms are fully moveable to all 12 roots
06Written with "sus4" after the root letter: Csus4, Dsus4, Asus4
07Distinct from sus2 (1 – 2 – 5, which suspends down to the 2nd) and add9 (a full major triad with the 9th added on top)

Questions

Sus4 Chords Guitar

Choose a root note

Sus4 Chord Formula

About Sus4 Chords on Guitar

Frequently Asked Questions