Also written Esus4, Esus or E Suspended
E suspended 4th contains E, A, and B. The open position uses a one-finger barre across the 2nd fret, making it a beginner-friendly shape.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
E suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5 — the root E, the perfect fourth A, and the perfect fifth B. The fourth replaces the third, which removes the major or minor quality and leaves an open, unresolved sound. Compare it with E major, where the third is G♯.
E suspended 4th works as a suspended colour in E major progressions like E–A–B–E, the I–IV–V–I, where it delays the resolution of E major. It also fits folk, pop, and rock when a chord needs to hover before landing.
The open position puts E in the bass for a rooted, stable sound. The Esus4/B inversion places B in the bass, which softens the chord and works well when the bass line is descending toward A.
E suspended 4th is played in open position as 0 2 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 2. The E string rings open.
Tip — The index barre must fret three strings cleanly at the 2nd fret while the open 4th string rings.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | open | — | E (1) |
| 3 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (5) |
| 2 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (1) |
| 1 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (4) |
E suspended 4th is played at the 12th fret as 12 14 14 14: index finger on the E string at fret 12, middle finger on the A string at fret 14, ring finger on the D string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 14.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 12 | 1 | E (1) |
| 3 (A) | 14 | 2 | B (5) |
| 2 (D) | 14 | 3 | E (1) |
| 1 (G) | 14 | 4 | A (4) |
E suspended 4th is played at the 7th fret as 7 7 7 9: barre your index finger across fret 7 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 9.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (5) |
| 3 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (1) |
| 2 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (4) |
| 1 (G) | 9 | 4 | E (1) |
E suspended 4th is written as Esus or Esus4. The symbol Esus4 specifies the fourth explicitly, while Esus assumes it.
E suspended 4th replaces the third with the fourth, A. E suspended 2nd replaces the third with the second, F♯, creating an even more open sound.
Yes, E suspended 4th can resolve to E minor by moving the fourth down a half step to the minor third, G. This resolution is common in classical and folk music.