A 7sus4 (A7sus4) chord on mandolin

7sus4 chord (a sus4 chord plus a minor seventh) on A: the notes of the A7sus4 chord are A – D – E – G.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Open positioneasy

Position 5easy

Position 7medium

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

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What the A7sus4 chord sounds like

A 7sus4 is a suspended dominant seventh: a fourth replaces the third. It is less tense than a plain 7 chord and popular in funk, jazz and modern pop.

Notes of the A7sus4 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
4	D	perfect fourth (5 semitones)
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	G	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): open (A4)
String 3 (D): open (D4)
String 4 (G): open (G3)

Open position

String 1 (E): fret 3, middle finger (G5)
String 2 (A): open (A4)
String 3 (D): open (D4)
String 4 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)

Position 5, barre at fret 5

String 1 (E): fret 5, index finger (A5)
String 2 (A): fret 5, index finger (D5)
String 3 (D): open (D4)
String 4 (G): open (G3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 5; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A7sus4 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A minor: I7sus4 (tonic)
D major: V7sus4 (dominant)
D minor: V7sus4 (dominant)
E minor: IV7sus4 (subdominant)
F major: III7sus4
C major: VI7sus4
G major: II7sus4
B minor: VII7sus4

Similar chords and substitutes

If A7sus4 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E♭7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
C♯dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
A7 – a simpler dominant
D – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

Asus4 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

A11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A7sus4 chord?

A, D, E, G. The root is A; the intervals of the other notes from the root: perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play A7sus4 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

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.

Why is a note missing from some A7sus4 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (E) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the A7sus4 chord written?

The chord symbol is A7sus4, and its full name is A 7sus4.