G suspended fourth
How to play Gsus4 — Suspended fourth
Gsus4 (Suspended fourth)G · C · D
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
G suspended fourth — notes and structure
The Gsus4 chord replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
The Gsus4 suspended fourth consists of the notes G, C, D. 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.
Gsus4 stacks a perfect fourth (C) and a perfect fifth (D) above the root G.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Gsus4 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 5th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
What key is Gsus4 in?
Every note of Gsus4 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 V chord
- G major — the I chord
- F major — the II chord
- B♭ major — the VI chord
Chords that go with Gsus4
In C major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Gsus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the G suspended fourth chord?
- The Gsus4 chord contains the notes G, C, D. 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 Gsus4 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Gsus4 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 Gsus4 belong to?
- Gsus4 fits C major (where it is the V chord), G major (where it is the I chord), F major (where it is the II chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.