Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the E string (2nd).
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the A string (1st).
- Let the G and C 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | open | — | G4 | fifth |
| 3rd (C) | open | — | C4 | root |
| 2nd (E) | fret 1 | index | F4 | fourth |
| 1st (A) | fret 3 | middle | C5 | 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 Csus4
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.
- 5533A barre at the 3rd fret and two more fingers
- 0088A shape at the 8th fret · two fingers
- 5788A shape at the 5th fret · four fingers
Holding it cleanly
2 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 Csus4
A suspended fourth chord is built from the root (1), 4 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From C that gives C – F – G. 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: C major, Cm, C7, Cmaj7, Cm7, Csus2, Cdim, Caug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Csus4 chord?
C suspended fourth is three notes: C – F – G — the root, 4 and 5 of the C major scale. On ukulele the shape 0013 sounds G4, C4, F4 and C5, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Csus4 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 0013 — an open-position shape, with two fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Csus4 and C?
Csus4 replaces the third of C with the fourth (F). The fourth leans back down to the third, so Csus4 is nearly always followed by C.