BeginnerSuspended 4th

Esus4 Chord

The Esus4 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:ERoot (1)APerfect 4th (4)BPerfect 5th (5)

Open Position

Esus4342

Chord Diagrams

Open Position

Uses a barre chord technique

Esus4342

Barre Shape — Fret 7

Uses a barre chord technique

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How to Play Esus4

Follow these steps for the open position fingering:

Barre technique: Press your index finger flat across all strings at fret 0 to form the barre, then add the remaining fingers on top.
#StringInstructionNote
1Low E (6th string)Open — play the open stringE
2A (5th string)Fret 2 with your ring fingerA
3D (4th string)Fret 2 with your pinky fingerB
4G (3rd string)Fret 1 with your middle fingerE
5B (2nd string)Open — play the open stringA
6High E (1st string)Open — play the open stringB

= Open string (no fingers needed)

= Muted string (don't play)

= Press your finger down firmly just behind the fret

Notes in Esus4

The Esus4 chord is built from 3 distinct notes, each serving a harmonic role:

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

Other E Chords

Explore other chord types built on the same root note:

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