Tools / Chords / A suspended 4th

A suspended 4th chord on guitar (Asus4)

Also written Asus4, Asus or A Suspended

A suspended 4th is built from A, D, and E. The open shape uses three open strings and two fretted notes, making it an easy first sus chord.

Open · ×-0-0-2-3-0×-0-0-2-3-0

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

A1Root

D4Perfect 4th

E5Perfect 5th

Formula 1, 4, 5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

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

Root positionA–D–EAsus4Bass A

First inversionD–E–AAsus4/DBass D

Second inversionE–A–DAsus4/EBass E

Why it sounds like that

A suspended 4th uses the formula 1, 4, 5. The perfect 4th between A and D replaces the major 3rd, creating an open, unresolved sound. Compare it to A major, which contains C♯ instead of D.

What goes wrong with A suspended 4th?

The low E string rings out and muddies the voicing; mute it with your thumb.
Your index finger flattens and deadens the open D string next to it.
The B string buzzes because your middle finger is too far from the fret.

When to use it

A suspended 4th works as a substitute for A major in the I–IV–V–I progression in A major (A–D–E–A). It suits folk, rock, and country strumming where the suspended sound adds motion.

Changing to and from A suspended 4th

From A suspended 4th to A major, lift your middle finger off the B string and place it on the 2nd fret of the B string while keeping the other fingers in place.
Sliding the shape down two frets to the 3rd fret gives G suspended 4th.

Which voicing to use

The open position is the easiest and most common shape. The Asus4/D inversion places D in the bass, giving a darker, more grounded sound for transitions.

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

Open · ×-0-0-2-3-0

Beginner● On the diagram

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

Tip — The open shape requires clean fretting of two notes while allowing three open strings to ring clearly.

String-by-string breakdown

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

Open · ×-0-2-2-3-0

Beginner

A suspended 4th is played in open position as × 0 2 2 3 0: index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 3. The A 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)	2	2	A (1)
2 (B)	3	3	D (4)
1 (e)	open	—	E (5)

5th fret · 5-5-7-7-5-5

Barre

A suspended 4th is played at the 5th fret as 5 5 7 7 5 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, ring finger on the D string at fret 7 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)	7	3	A (1)
3 (G)	7	4	D (4)
2 (B)	5	1 (barre)	E (5)
1 (e)	5	1 (barre)	A (1)

5th fret · 5-7-7-7-5-5

Barre

A suspended 4th is played at the 5th fret as 5 7 7 7 5 5: barre your index finger across fret 5, middle finger on the A string at fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 7 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)	7	2	E (5)
4 (D)	7	3	A (1)
3 (G)	7	4	D (4)
2 (B)	5	1 (barre)	E (5)
1 (e)	5	1 (barre)	A (1)

Asus4/D inversion

Beginner

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

String-by-string breakdown

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

Common questions

How is A suspended 4th written?

A suspended 4th is written as Asus or Asus4. The symbol 'sus' stands for suspended, indicating the 3rd is replaced by the 4th.

What is the difference between A suspended 4th and A suspended 2nd?

A suspended 4th uses the 4th (D) instead of the 3rd, while A suspended 2nd uses the 2nd (B) instead of the 3rd. The sus4 has a stronger pull to resolve down to the major 3rd.

Can A suspended 4th be used in minor keys?

A suspended 4th can appear in A natural minor, where the 4th is D and the 5th is E. It works as a substitution for A minor in progressions like Am–Dm–Em.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

open

—

A (1)

4 (D)

open

—

D (4)

3 (G)

A (1)

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)

A (1)

2 (B)

D (4)

1 (e)

open

—

E (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

A (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

D (4)

4 (D)

A (1)

3 (G)

D (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

E (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

A (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

A (1)

5 (A)

E (5)

4 (D)

A (1)

3 (G)

D (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

E (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

A (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

open

—

D (4)

3 (G)

A (1)

2 (B)

D (4)

1 (e)

open

—

E (5)