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A seventh, suspended fourth

How to play A7sus4 — Seventh, suspended fourth

A7sus4 (Seventh, suspended fourth)A · D · E · G

✕13AEGDE
7fr✕✕1324AEGD
Hand position for A7sus4 — from the Picture Chord Pocket Guide.

Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)

A seventh, suspended fourth — notes and structure

The A7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh with the third suspended to the fourth — an unresolved, gospel-tinged sound.

The A7sus4 seventh, suspended fourth consists of the notes A, D, E, G. Its interval structure is R–4–5–7 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.

A7sus4 stacks a perfect fourth (D), a perfect fifth (E) and a minor seventh (G) above the root A.

The finder shows 2 ways to play A7sus4 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 10th fret. None of them need a barre.

What key is A7sus4 in?

Every note of A7sus4 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 A7sus4

In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put A7sus4 next to these:

  • C (I)
  • F (IV)
  • G (V)

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A seventh, suspended fourth chord?
The A7sus4 chord contains the notes A, D, E, G. It is a dominant seventh with the third suspended to the fourth — an unresolved, gospel-tinged sound.
How many ways can you play A7sus4 on guitar?
2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
Is A7sus4 a hard chord to play?
It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.
What key does A7sus4 belong to?
A7sus4 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.