Which notes are in the E7sus4 chord?

E7sus4 contains the notes E, A, B and D. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 4 – 5 – ♭7.

How many ways can you play E7sus4?

Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for E7sus4, 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 E7sus4 chord hard to play?

Not really. The open position of E7sus4 uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.

E dominant 7th suspended 4th · Guitar

E7sus4 Chord on Guitar

The E7sus4 chord (E dominant 7th suspended 4th) is built from the notes E, A, B and D. 2 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.

Chord diagrams

Position 1open position

Fingering

string 6 (E): played open
string 5 (A): fret 2 — index finger
string 4 (D): played open
string 3 (G): fret 2 — middle finger
string 2 (B): played open
string 1 (E): played open

Position 2barre shape · starts at fret 7

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): fret 7 — index finger
string 4 (D): fret 9 — ring finger
string 3 (G): fret 7 — index finger
string 2 (B): fret 10 — little finger
string 1 (E): fret 7 — index finger

Notes in this chord

Degrees: 1 – 4 – 5 – ♭7

How to play

E7sus4 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

The 7sus4 chord combines the suspended fourth with a minor seventh. It delays resolution while keeping the dominant pull, which makes it a favourite setup chord before a V–I move. On E7sus4 this structure sits on the root E, so the degrees 1 – 4 – 5 – ♭7 map onto E, A, B and D.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the E7sus4 chord?: E7sus4 contains the notes E, A, B and D. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 4 – 5 – ♭7.
How many ways can you play E7sus4?: Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for E7sus4, 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 E7sus4 chord hard to play?: Not really. The open position of E7sus4 uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.

Practise E7sus4 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.