AdvancedSuspended 4th

Csus4 Chord

The Csus4 is a suspended 4th chord that sounds tense, suspended, and dramatic. Sus4 chords replace the third with a fourth, creating a classic suspension effect. They naturally want to resolve to the major chord, making them perfect for dynamic chord progressions.

Notes:CRoot (1)FPerfect 4th (4)GPerfect 5th (5)

Open Position

Csus48fr134211

Chord Diagrams

Position — Fret 8

Uses a barre chord technique

Csus48fr134211

Barre Shape — Fret 3

Uses a barre chord technique

Csus43fr12341

How to Play Csus4

Follow these steps for the open position fingering:

Barre technique: Press your index finger flat across all strings at fret 8 to form the barre, then add the remaining fingers on top.
#StringInstructionNote
1Low E (6th string)Fret 8 with your index fingerC
2A (5th string)Fret 10 with your ring fingerF
3D (4th string)Fret 10 with your pinky fingerG
4G (3rd string)Fret 9 with your middle fingerC
5B (2nd string)Fret 8 with your index fingerF
6High E (1st string)Fret 8 with your index fingerG

= Open string (no fingers needed)

= Muted string (don't play)

= Press your finger down firmly just behind the fret

Notes in Csus4

The Csus4 chord is built from 3 distinct notes, each serving a harmonic role:

C
Root (1)
The root — gives the chord its name
F
Perfect 4th (4)
The perfect 4th — creates the suspended feeling
G
Perfect 5th (5)
The fifth — adds power and stability

Other C Chords

Explore other chord types built on the same root note:

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