C suspended fourth
How to play Csus4 — Suspended fourth
Csus4 (Suspended fourth)C · F · G
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
C suspended fourth — notes and structure
The Csus4 chord replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
The Csus4 suspended fourth consists of the notes C, F, G. 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 guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Csus4 stacks a perfect fourth (F) and a perfect fifth (G) above the root C.
The finder shows 3 ways to play Csus4 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 6th fret. They use a barre.
What key is Csus4 in?
Every note of Csus4 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 I chord
- F major — the V chord
- B♭ major — the II chord
- E♭ major — the VI chord
Chords that go with Csus4
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Csus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the C suspended fourth chord?
- The Csus4 chord contains the notes C, F, G. It replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
- How many ways can you play Csus4 on guitar?
- 3 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Csus4 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.
- What key does Csus4 belong to?
- Csus4 fits C major (where it is the I chord), F major (where it is the V chord), B♭ major (where it is the II chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.