A suspended 4th · Guitar
Asus4 Chord on Guitar
The Asus4 chord (A suspended 4th) is built from the notes A, D and E. 2 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.
Chord diagrams
Fingering
- string 6 (E): muted
- string 5 (A): played open
- string 4 (D): fret 2 — middle finger
- string 3 (G): fret 2 — ring finger
- string 2 (B): fret 3 — little finger
- string 1 (E): played open
Fingering
- string 6 (E): fret 5 — index finger
- string 5 (A): fret 7 — middle finger
- string 4 (D): fret 7 — ring finger
- string 3 (G): fret 7 — little finger
- string 2 (B): fret 5 — index finger
- string 1 (E): fret 5 — index finger
Notes in this chord
- A
- D
- E
Degrees: 1 – 4 – 5
How to play
Asus4 has 1 open position and 1 barre shape. Start with the open voicing if you are new to it; the barre shapes exist to move the same chord further up the neck without changing the key.
Theory behind the chord
Suspended fourth chords replace the third with a fourth, so they sound unresolved on purpose. Releasing the fourth back down to the third is one of the oldest and most satisfying moves in songwriting. On Asus4 this structure sits on the root A, so the degrees 1 – 4 – 5 map onto A, D and E.
Frequently asked questions
- Which notes are in the Asus4 chord?
- Asus4 contains the notes A, D and E. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 4 – 5.
- How many ways can you play Asus4?
- Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for Asus4, 1 of which is a barre shape. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.
- Is the Asus4 chord hard to play?
- Not really. The open position of Asus4 uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.
Practise Asus4 on your phone
Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.
