As a suspended tonicC major
The suspension resolves down onto the plain triad on the next beat.
Csus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Csus4 chord is a suspended fourth chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, F and G.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
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.
- Notes
- C · F · G
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7
- Note
- C
- Quality
- Suspended 4
- Symbol
- Csus4
Csus4 on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Csus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, middle finger on F and little finger on G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of Csus4 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- F4
- G5
Csus4 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Csus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 8: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
C · F · G
Try Csus4 on the virtual piano
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Csus4 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | F | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G |
How to use the Csus4 chord
The Csus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, F and G. The same formula gives you the chord in 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.
How Csus4 differs from similar chords
Csus4 puts a perfect fourth where the third of C would be, and that fourth wants to fall a half step to the major third. Where Csus2 sits comfortably, Csus4 sounds like a question waiting for its answer. Add a minor seventh and it becomes C7sus4, the suspended dominant.
Where Csus4 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- 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 them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of Csus4 is a white key.
- How do you play Csus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 8: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What chords work well with Csus4?
- Csus4 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.