Csus4 Chord

The Csus4 chord is a suspended fourth chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, F and G.

Suspended fourth chords feel tense and expectant. The fourth wants to resolve down to the third, which makes sus4 a classic tool for building energy right before a major or minor chord.

Csus4 on piano

Piano diagram of the Csus4 chordCFGCFGCsus4 — C · F · G

To play Csus4 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on C, middle finger on F, and little finger on G. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Csus4 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the Csus4 chord8frCsus4

On guitar, Csus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they do not mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Csus4
C · F · G

Csus4 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 4 · 5Notes: C · F · G
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0C
4Perfect fourth5F
5Perfect fifth7G

How to use the Csus4 chord

The Csus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. Starting from the root C, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: C, F and G. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Suspended fourth chords appear in rock riffs, worship music and folk. They usually sit right before the corresponding major chord, creating a strong pull into the downbeat.

Common progressions

The Csus4 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
CGAmF
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
CFGC
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V
CAmFG

Related chords to Csus4

Once you are comfortable with Csus4, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Csus4 and are a natural next step in your practice.

C♯sus4
C♯ · F♯ · G♯
Dsus4
D · G · A
E♭sus4
E♭ · A♭ · B♭
Esus4
E · A · B
C Major
C · E · G
C Minor
C · D♯ · G
C7
C · E · G · A♯
Cmaj7
C · E · G · B
Gsus4
G · C · D
Fsus4
F · B♭ · C

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Csus4 chord?
The Csus4 chord contains C, F and G.
Is the Csus4 chord major or minor?
Csus4 is a suspended fourth chord. Suspended fourth chords feel tense and expectant. The fourth wants to resolve down to the third, which makes sus4 a classic tool for building energy right before a major or minor chord.
How do you play Csus4 on piano?
Place your fingers on C, F and G and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play Csus4 on guitar?
Csus4 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What chords work well with Csus4?
Csus4 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Csus4 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths