Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th).
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string (3rd).
- Let the low E, A, B and high E strings ring open.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | open | — | E2 | root |
| 5th (A) | open | — | A2 | fourth |
| 4th (D) | fret 2 | index | E3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 2 | middle | A3 | fourth |
| 2nd (B) | open | — | B3 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | open | — | E4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Esus4
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 007400A shape at the 4th fret · two fingers
- 009900A shape at the 9th fret · two fingers
- x-7-7-9-10-7A barre at the 7th fret and two more fingers
Holding it cleanly
4 strings ring open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The notes in Esus4
A suspended fourth chord is built from the root (1), 4 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From E that gives E – A – B. The third is pushed up to the fourth. It leans back down to the plain major chord, and is usually played just before it.
The same root, other chords: E major, Em, E7, Emaj7, Em7, Esus2, Edim, Eaug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Esus4 chord?
E suspended fourth is three notes: E – A – B — the root, 4 and 5 of the E major scale. On guitar the shape 002200 sounds E2, A2, E3, A3, B3 and E4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Esus4 on guitar?
The usual shape is 002200 — an open-position shape, with two fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Esus4 and E?
Esus4 replaces the third of E with the fourth (A). The fourth leans back down to the third, so Esus4 is nearly always followed by E.