A Suspended 4th Guitar Chord (Asus4)
A suspended 4th is a three-note chord built from A (the root), D (the perfect fourth), and E (the perfect fifth). It has the ringing, ambiguous color that folk and rock players love for decorating a plain major chord — lift one finger and it resolves. Below are 4 ways to play it in standard tuning, easiest shape first.
Asus4 chord shapes — standard tuning
How to play it
Place your index finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 2 and your middle finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 3. Let the A (5th), D (4th), and high E (1st) strings ring open. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum — start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.
Once that shape is comfortable, try the other 3 voicings above — same notes, different neck positions and textures.
Notes in this chord
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | A |
| 4 | perfect fourth | D |
| 5 | perfect fifth | E |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see Asus4 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More A chords
Nearby suspended 4th chords
Asus4 FAQ
What notes are in Asus4?
Asus4 contains A, D, and E — the root (A), the perfect fourth, and the perfect fifth.
Is Asus4 a barre chord?
Not necessarily. The easiest Asus4 shape (x-0-0-2-3-0) needs no barre — it uses 2 fingers plus open strings. Barre versions exist too, starting at fret 5, and are handy when you want to move the same grip to other keys.
What is the easiest way to play Asus4 on guitar?
Start with the open position shape x-0-0-2-3-0. Place your index finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 2 and your middle finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 3. Let the A (5th), D (4th), and high E (1st) strings ring open. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum — start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.