My Chord Finder
Esus4
E2 (1) · A2 (4) · E3 (1) · A3 (4) · B3 (5) · E4 (1)
E sus4 guitar chord
Esus4 is E, A and B — degrees 1, 4 and 5. E major is E, G# and B, so the third G# steps up a half step to A.
Esus4
E2 (1) · A2 (4) · E3 (1) · B3 (5) · B3 (5) · E4 (1)
Esus4
E2 (1) · A2 (4) · E3 (1) · A3 (4) · B3 (5) · A4 (4)
Esus4 is E, A, B (1, 4, 5). E major is E, G#, B: the third G# is replaced by the fourth A. On the fretboard the third moves up a half step, G# to A.
× mute · ○ open · green root · terracotta other chord tones
Numbers show a suggested finger: 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky. A bar means one finger holds several strings.
Play Esus4, then change one finger
Esus4 is the panel this page starts on. Press Esus2 to hear the second take the fourth's place, or E to hear the major third come back; the diagram, the written notes and the degree under each string follow the button.
Esus4 is one finger away from E
E major is E, G#, B and the third G# sits on the first fret of the G string. Esus4 moves that finger up one fret to the second, which turns G# into A and leaves the two open E strings, the open B string and the B on the A string exactly where they were. The chord keeps a perfect fourth over the root instead of a third.
People write it esus4 chord guitar or e sus4 guitar, and piano players look for e sus4 piano. The shorthand e sus 4 is the same chord again. In a chart, sus4 and a bare sus both mean the fourth: when a writer wants the second they have to write sus2.
Because the root is the lowest open string on the guitar, Esus4 rings as a full six-string chord in every shape on this page. That is unusual for a chord whose key signature is four sharps, and it is the reason Esus4 shows up in beginner songbooks beside E and A.
Reading the four Esus4 shapes
0 0 2 2 0 0 puts middle and ring fingers on the second fret of the D and G strings and lets the rest ring: E, A, E, A, B, E. 0 2 2 2 0 0 moves the A string to the second fret for B with one finger laid across the A, D and G strings, which trades the open A for a heavier bottom note.
0 0 2 4 0 0 keeps the open A string and moves the G string to the fourth fret, so the chord gains a second B and loses the A on that string. 0 0 2 2 0 5 puts a high A on the fifth fret of the top string, which is the version to use when the melody sits above the chord.
The two E shapes to compare with are Esus2, which reads 0 2 4 4 0 0 and holds F# instead of A, and plain E, which reads 0 2 2 1 0 0 and holds G# on the G string. The fretting hand barely moves between them, which is why E, Esus4 and Esus2 turn up together in one bar so often.
| Shape | Frets (low E to high E) | Sounding notes with degrees |
|---|---|---|
| Open position | 0 0 2 2 0 0 | E2 (1) · A2 (4) · E3 (1) · A3 (4) · B3 (5) · E4 (1) |
| Open strings with frets 2 to 4 | 0 0 2 4 0 0 | E2 (1) · A2 (4) · E3 (1) · B3 (5) · B3 (5) · E4 (1) |
| Open strings with frets 2 to 5 | 0 0 2 2 0 5 | E2 (1) · A2 (4) · E3 (1) · A3 (4) · B3 (5) · A4 (4) |
| Open position | 0 2 2 2 0 0 | E2 (1) · B2 (5) · E3 (1) · A3 (4) · B3 (5) · E4 (1) |
Esus4 on the piano
The keys are E, A and B. Play the E and the B as a fifth and put the A between them, and the chord has the same shape as the guitar voicing: a wide gap then a narrow one. If you want the fourth underneath instead, stack A, B and E with the E on top.
On the piano there is no open string to keep, so Esus4 is simply three keys. That makes it easy to move the chord under a melody, and it also means the voicing you choose decides how tense the chord sounds: the A close to the B is tighter than the A down next to the E.
Sounding notes of the keyboard voicing: E4 (1) · A4 (4) · B4 (5).
The three keys, written low to high: E4 A4 B4.
Where Esus4 turns up
The plainest use is inside one bar of E: E, Esus4, E. The G string moves from the first fret to the second and back, and the rest of the chord keeps ringing, so it works as a hammer-on in almost any strumming pattern.
Esus4 also sits over the two chords that lead home in E: A, Esus4, E and B, Esus4, E. Over a B bass the three notes of Esus4 are also three of the four in B7sus4, which is B, E, F# and A, so the chord sounds at home there without the F# being played. In worship and rock charts the same shape is often held for a whole line while the bass walks, because the fourth keeps the phrase in the air.
Questions people ask about Esus4
How do you use Esus4 in a major key?
As a delayed E. E, Esus4, E is the standard move, and the same suspension works over the fourth and fifth chords of the key: A, Esus4, E and B, Esus4, E. The chord holds notes that belong to both chords around it, so nothing sounds wrong while it waits; the release happens when the G# comes back.
How do you play Esus4?
Fret the second fret of the D and G strings with the middle and ring fingers and play every string open otherwise: 0 0 2 2 0 0. If you prefer one finger to two, lay the index finger flat across the second fret of the A, D and G strings for 0 2 2 2 0 0, which trades the open A for a B.
Is Esus4 the same as E?
No, one fret on one string. E is 0 2 2 1 0 0 with G# on the first fret of the G string; Esus4 moves that note to the second fret, which is A. The other five strings are identical, so the two chords can be swapped inside a strum without lifting the hand.
Where are the e sus4 piano notes?
In the piano section above: E, A and B, with the keys lit inside one octave and a Hear button that plays recorded piano samples. The letters match the guitar exactly, because a suspended fourth is defined by its notes, not by the instrument that plays them.
Does Esus4 work in drop D or with a capo?
Not with these fingerings. All four rows use the open low E string, and drop D retunes that string to D; a capo moves every open string up with it. Both changes are fine musically, but the shapes have to be rebuilt, and the written notes would change with them.