Tools / Chords / A 7th suspended 4th

A 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar (A7sus4)

Also written A7sus4, A or A Dominant 7th Suspended 4th

A 7th suspended 4th contains A, D, E, and G. The open voicing mutes the low E, leaving a wide spread that demands careful thumb control.

Open · ×-0-0-0-3-0×-0-0-0-3-0

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

A1Root

D4Perfect 4th

E5Perfect 5th

G♭7Minor 7th

Formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionA–D–E–GA7sus4Bass A

First inversionD–E–G–AA7sus4/DBass D

Second inversionE–G–A–DA7sus4/EBass E

Third inversionG–A–D–EA7sus4/GBass G

Why it sounds like that

A 7th suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th from A to D replaces the major 3rd, suspending the chord's resolution. Compare it to A suspended 4th, which omits the minor 7th G.

What goes wrong with A 7th suspended 4th?

The low E string sounds because the thumb doesn't fully mute it.
The index finger flattens and deadens the high E string.
The open G string is accidentally muted by the fretting hand.

When to use it

A 7th suspended 4th works as the V chord in D major, resolving to D major in a I–IV–V–I progression. It also fits A minor and A 5th chords, adding tension before a resolution. Use it in rock, folk, and blues where a suspended dominant sound is needed.

Changing to and from A 7th suspended 4th

Move to A minor by lifting the index finger from the B string and fretting the B string at the 1st fret.
Slide the shape down two frets to the 3rd fret to play G 7th suspended 4th.

Which voicing to use

The open voicing keeps the bass on A and is the easiest to grab. The 5th fret barre version offers a fuller sound with the same bass note, useful for cutting through a band mix.

How do you play an A 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar?

Open · ×-0-0-0-3-0

Beginner● On the diagram

A 7th suspended 4th is played in open position as × 0 0 0 3 0: index finger on the B string at fret 3. The A, D, G and high e strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.

Tip — The index finger must fret the B string cleanly at the 3rd fret while the thumb mutes the low E without touching the A string.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	open	—	A (1)
4 (D)	open	—	D (4)
3 (G)	open	—	G (♭7)
2 (B)	3	1	D (4)
1 (e)	open	—	E (5)

Open · ×-0-2-0-3-0

Beginner

A 7th suspended 4th is played in open position as × 0 2 0 3 0: index finger on the D string at fret 2 and middle finger on the B string at fret 3. The A, G and high e strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	open	—	A (1)
4 (D)	2	1	E (5)
3 (G)	open	—	G (♭7)
2 (B)	3	2	D (4)
1 (e)	open	—	E (5)

Open · ×-0-2-0-3-3

Beginner

A 7th suspended 4th is played in open position as × 0 2 0 3 3: index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A and G strings ring open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	open	—	A (1)
4 (D)	2	1	E (5)
3 (G)	open	—	G (♭7)
2 (B)	3	2	D (4)
1 (e)	3	3	G (♭7)

Open · ×-0-2-2-3-3

Beginner

A 7th suspended 4th is played in open position as × 0 2 2 3 3: index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A string rings open. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	open	—	A (1)
4 (D)	2	1	E (5)
3 (G)	2	2	A (1)
2 (B)	3	3	D (4)
1 (e)	3	4	G (♭7)

5th fret

Barre

A 7th suspended 4th is played at the 5th fret as 5 5 5 7 5 5: barre your index finger across fret 5 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 7.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	5	1 (barre)	A (1)
5 (A)	5	1 (barre)	D (4)
4 (D)	5	1 (barre)	G (♭7)
3 (G)	7	4	D (4)
2 (B)	5	1 (barre)	E (5)
1 (e)	5	1 (barre)	A (1)

Common questions

What is the difference between A 7th suspended 4th and A suspended 4th?

A 7th suspended 4th adds the minor 7th G to the A suspended 4th triad. That extra note gives it a dominant function and a stronger pull toward D major.

Why is the low E string muted in the open position?

The low E is a chord tone, but muting it keeps the bass note on A. This preserves the root-position voicing and prevents the chord from sounding muddy.

Can A 7th suspended 4th be played as a barre chord?

Yes, the 5th fret position uses a full barre across all six strings. That shape is movable and gives a thicker, more sustained sound.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

open

—

A (1)

4 (D)

open

—

D (4)

3 (G)

open

—

G (♭7)

2 (B)

D (4)

1 (e)

open

—

E (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

open

—

A (1)

4 (D)

E (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (♭7)

2 (B)

D (4)

1 (e)

open

—

E (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

open

—

A (1)

4 (D)

E (5)

3 (G)

open

—

G (♭7)

2 (B)

D (4)

1 (e)

G (♭7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

open

—

A (1)

4 (D)

E (5)

3 (G)

A (1)

2 (B)

D (4)

1 (e)

G (♭7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

A (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (4)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

G (♭7)

3 (G)

D (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

E (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

A (1)