D suspended fourth
How to play Dsus4 — Suspended fourth
Dsus4 (Suspended fourth)D · G · A
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
D suspended fourth — notes and structure
The Dsus4 chord replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
The Dsus4 suspended fourth consists of the notes D, G, A. 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.
Dsus4 stacks a perfect fourth (G) and a perfect fifth (A) above the root D.
To play Dsus4, press the keys D, G, A together — the root D is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Dsus4 in?
Every note of Dsus4 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 II chord
- G major — the V chord
- F major — the VI chord
- D major — the I chord
Chords that go with Dsus4
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Dsus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the D suspended fourth chord on piano?
- The Dsus4 chord is made of the notes D, G, A. 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 D suspended fourth on the piano?
- Press D, G, A at the same time, with the root D 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 Dsus4 belong to?
- Dsus4 fits C major (where it is the II chord), G major (where it is the V chord), F major (where it is the VI chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.