E seventh, suspended fourth
How to play E7sus4 — Seventh, suspended fourth
E7sus4 (Seventh, suspended fourth)E · A · B · D
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
E seventh, suspended fourth — notes and structure
The E7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh with the third suspended to the fourth — an unresolved, gospel-tinged sound.
The E7sus4 seventh, suspended fourth consists of the notes E, A, B, D. 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.
E7sus4 stacks a perfect fourth (A), a perfect fifth (B) and a minor seventh (D) above the root E.
The finder shows 2 ways to play E7sus4 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 5th fret. None of them need a barre.
What key is E7sus4 in?
Every note of E7sus4 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 E7sus4
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put E7sus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E seventh, suspended fourth chord?
- The E7sus4 chord contains the notes E, A, B, D. It is a dominant seventh with the third suspended to the fourth — an unresolved, gospel-tinged sound.
- How many ways can you play E7sus4 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is E7sus4 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 E7sus4 belong to?
- E7sus4 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.