Asus4 Guitar Chord

Asus4 is the A suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: A, D and E. The open shape is plain A with a pinky added at the 3rd fret of the B string, which is why strummers drop in and out of Asus4 without thinking: hammer the finger on for tension, lift it to come home to A.

234×AEADE

The A shape with one extra finger: the pinky turns C♯ into D. Hammer it on and off while the other fingers stay put.

How to play Asus4, step by step

  1. Middle finger: 2nd fret, D string
  2. Ring finger: 2nd fret, G string
  3. Pinky finger: 3rd fret, B string
  4. Leave the A and high E strings open. Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

Practice pairing it with plain A: strum Asus4 for a beat, then pull the pinky off and strum again. That on and off move is the whole point of the chord.

More ways to play Asus4

There are 3 common Asus4 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Barre at fret 5
Asus4 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 5, played 577755

Thicker and more solid than the open shape, with the root doubled at both ends and no open strings.

Compact, frets 7 to 10
Asus4 guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 7 to 10, played x x 7 9 10 10

The thinnest of the three, high and chimey, good for adding movement over another instrument's bass.

Songs that use the Asus4 chord

If it buzzes or sounds muffled

High E string dies
The pinky at the 3rd fret tends to lean into it. Arch the pinky more so the open high E has room to ring.
Low E rings out
It is not in the chord. Start the strum from the open A string, or brush the low E with the tip of a spare finger to keep it quiet.
B string buzzes
The pinky is the weakest finger and often lands too far from the fret. Slide it right up behind the 3rd fret and press with the very tip.

What makes it an Asus4

A · D · E 1 4 5

A sus4 chord swaps its third for the fourth. Asus4 keeps the root and fifth of A major, A and E, but replaces the third, C♯, with D. Without a third the chord is neither major nor minor; the D sits one half step above where C♯ would be and pulls down toward it. That pull is why Asus4 almost always resolves to A: the tension note falls one fret and the chord relaxes. You will meet it in the keys of A, D and E, anywhere an A chord needs a bit of movement.

Asus4 vs Asus2

Both chords suspend the third of A, in opposite directions. Asus4 raises it to D and sounds tense, like a held breath before A. Asus2 lowers it to B and sounds open and airy, with no real pull anywhere. On guitar they are equally easy: Asus2 lifts a finger from the A shape, Asus4 adds one. Use sus4 to lean into the next A, use sus2 to soften a repeated A.

Asus4 chord questions

Is Asus4 a hard chord?

No. The open shape is the standard A chord plus a pinky on the B string at the 3rd fret. Most players pick it up in minutes.

What does the sus in Asus4 mean?

Suspended. The third of the chord is suspended, meaning replaced, by the fourth. Asus4 has A, D and E instead of A, C♯ and E.

Is Asus the same as Asus4?

Usually yes. When a chart writes Asus with no number, it almost always means Asus4.

What songs use Asus4?

Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams rocks between A and Asus4 in the verse, Pinball Wizard by The Who strums through it in the intro, and Dust in the Wind by Kansas picks Asus2 and Asus4 around Am.

Does Asus4 have to resolve to A?

No, but it usually does. The D note pulls strongly toward C♯, so Asus4 to A is the natural move. Left unresolved it simply sounds open and unsettled, which some songs use on purpose.

Chords to learn next

Other A chords