E sus4 (Esus4) chord on guitar

Looking for the Esus4 chord on guitar? It is a sus4 chord (a perfect fourth instead of the third), made of three notes: E – A – B.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

D shape, fret 2medium

C shape, fret 4medium

A shape, fret 7hard

Position 9medium

E shape, fret 12medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Esus4 chord sounds like

In a sus4 chord a perfect fourth replaces the third. The fourth is 'suspended' and usually resolves down to the third (sus4 → major), a classic move at cadences.

Notes of the Esus4 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E	root
4	A	perfect fourth (5 semitones)
5	B	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 2, little finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, ring finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B2)
String 6 (E): open (E2)

D shape, fret 2

String 1 (e): fret 5, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, ring finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

C shape, fret 4

String 1 (e): fret 5, middle finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, middle finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 7, little finger (A3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, little finger (E3)
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Esus4 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Esus4 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 2
shape: Dsus4

Capo: fret 4
shape: Csus4

Capo: fret 7
shape: Asus4

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Esus4 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E major: Isus4 (tonic)
E minor: Isus4 (tonic)
A major: Vsus4 (dominant)
A minor: Vsus4 (dominant)
B minor: IVsus4 (subdominant)
C major: IIIsus4
G major: VIsus4
D major: IIsus4
F♯ minor: VIIsus4
C♯ minor: IIIsus4

Similar chords and substitutes

If Esus4 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E – resolves the suspension to major
Em – or to minor

Same notes

Asus2 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

E5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

E7sus4 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
E11 – the same chord plus 3 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Esus4 chord?

E, A, B. The root is E; the intervals of the other notes from the root: perfect fourth, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play Esus4 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Dsus4 shape at fret 2 or a Csus4 shape at fret 4.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the Esus4 chord written?

The chord symbol is Esus4, and its full name is E sus4.