A Sus4 Guitar Chord (Asus4)
The A Sus4 chord (Asus4) is built from the notes A, D, and E: the R, 4, 5 of A. Below are the five ways to play Asus4 on guitar, laid out in order from the lowest position on the neck to the highest.
A suspended fourth chord is tense and unresolved: the third becomes the fourth, leaning to fall back to the plain chord. Asus4 can be played in open position, and it also appears four more times higher up the neck.
Notes in Asus4
How to play Asus4: five positions
Strings run low E to high e, left to right. Dots are finger positions, a ringed dot is the root (A), an × means don't play that string, and the label on the right (like "9fr") is the starting fret. Under each shape are the notes it sounds and their role in the chord.
Hear it and explore other chords →
The free interactive Chord Library lets you switch roots and flavors instantly and see every voicing update live.
Other A chords
The sus4 chord in other keys
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the A Sus4 chord?
- The A Sus4 chord (Asus4) contains the notes A, D, and E. Those are the R, 4, 5 of A, so the chord is A (the root), D (the fourth), and E (the fifth).
- How do you play Asus4 on guitar?
- There are five ways to play Asus4, one for each CAGED shape. Asus4 can be played in open position, and it also appears four more times higher up the neck. A nearby voicing often makes an awkward chord change much easier, so if one shape fights you, try the next one up or down the neck.
- What does a Asus4 chord sound like?
- A suspended fourth chord is tense and unresolved: the third becomes the fourth, leaning to fall back to the plain chord. You can hear Asus4 and any progression built from it in the free interactive tools on this site.
- Is Asus4 a hard chord to play?
- Not necessarily. Asus4 has an open-position shape that beginners can reach, plus higher barre-style shapes for when you want a different position or are playing with another guitarist.