E suspended fourth
How to play Esus4 — Suspended fourth
Esus4 (Suspended fourth)E · A · B
Piano samples: Salamander Grand Piano (CC-BY 3.0)
E suspended fourth — notes and structure
The Esus4 chord replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
The Esus4 suspended fourth consists of the notes E, A, B. 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.
Esus4 stacks a perfect fourth (A) and a perfect fifth (B) above the root E.
To play Esus4, press the keys E, A, B together — the root E is circled on the interactive keyboard above.
What key is Esus4 in?
Every note of Esus4 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 III chord
- G major — the VI chord
- D major — the II chord
- A major — the V chord
Chords that go with Esus4
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Esus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E suspended fourth chord on piano?
- The Esus4 chord is made of the notes E, A, B. 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 E suspended fourth on the piano?
- Press E, A, B at the same time, with the root E 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 Esus4 belong to?
- Esus4 fits C major (where it is the III chord), G major (where it is the VI chord), D major (where it is the II chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.