A suspended fourth
How to play Asus4 — Suspended fourth
Asus4 (Suspended fourth)A · D · E
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
A suspended fourth — notes and structure
The Asus4 chord replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
The Asus4 suspended fourth consists of the notes A, D, E. Its interval structure is R–4–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the piano keyboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Asus4 stacks a perfect fourth (D) and a perfect fifth (E) above the root A.
To play Asus4, press the keys A, D, E together — the root A is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Asus4 in?
Every note of Asus4 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- C major — the VI chord
- G major — the II chord
- F major — the III chord
- D major — the V chord
Chords that go with Asus4
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Asus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the A suspended fourth chord on piano?
- The Asus4 chord is made of the notes A, D, E. It replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
- How do you play A suspended fourth on the piano?
- Press A, D, E at the same time, with the root A as the lowest note. The interactive keyboard above lights up the exact keys.
- What is the suspended fourth chord formula?
- Its interval structure is R–4–5 above the root — the same shape transposed to any of the twelve keys.
- What key does Asus4 belong to?
- Asus4 fits C major (where it is the VI chord), G major (where it is the II chord), F major (where it is the III chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.