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.

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.

Guitar shapes Piano fingering

Root

Quality

Csus4 on piano

View:

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 thumb on C, middle finger on F, and little finger on G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.

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 shape: keep the index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.

Play the chord

Csus4

C · F · G

Csus4 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 4 · 5Notes: C · F · G

Degree	Interval	Semitones	Note
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.

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

C G Am F

Classic I-IV-V

I → IV → V → I

C F G C

50s progression

I → vi → IV → V

C Am F G

Once Csus4 feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.

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 them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right.

How do you play Csus4 on guitar?

Csus4 is typically played with the fingering shown in the diagram above. If one of the chord tones lines up with an open string, an open position is worth trying too.

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.

Keep exploring

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

Browse all chords Explore scales Explore progressions Chord Transposer Chord Finder Chords in Key Try the Piano Open Circle of Fifths