Csus4 Piano Chord

Csus4 is the C suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: C, F and G. All three are white keys. The E that would make it C major has been replaced by F.

1C3F5GC4C5

C at the bottom, then F and G. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1. Every key here is white.

How to play Csus4 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): C
  3. Middle finger (3): F
  4. Little finger (5): G
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just C on its own as a bass note.

Play Csus4 and then let the F fall to E. That one step is the sound of a suspension resolving, and it is everywhere in gospel and rock.

Inversions of Csus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Csus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionF G C
Csus4 piano chord diagram, first inversion, F G C
Lighter than root position and less final. A fourth in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionG C F
Csus4 piano chord diagram, second inversion, G C F
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The chord sounds like C major
The middle note is F, not E. It sits one white key higher.
The top two notes clash
F and G are adjacent keys. That tension is the chord doing its job; if it sounds harsh, play higher up the keyboard.
The chord feels unfinished
It is meant to. A sus4 leans toward the major chord below it, and the usual answer is to play C major next.

What makes it a Csus4

C · F · G 1 4 5

Csus4 is C, F and G: the root, the fourth and the fifth. Replacing the third with the fourth suspends the chord, and the F sitting a half step above E is what creates the pull.

It is the I chord of C with the third held back, and it turns up constantly as the V chord of F in the same form. In gospel the move from sus4 to the plain chord is a signature sound.

Csus4 vs C

One note. C major has E, Csus4 has F. Moving the middle finger down one white key resolves the suspension.

The suspension is only a delay, not a different chord. It works because the ear knows where the F wants to go and enjoys waiting for it.

Questions about Csus4

What does sus mean in Csus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In Csus4 the third, E, is replaced by F, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a Csus4 chord on piano?

C, F and G.

What is the difference between Csus4 and Csus2?

Which note stands in for the third. Csus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; Csus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve Csus4?

Move F down to E, which turns the chord into C major. That single step is the whole point of a sus4, and it is one of the most used moves in gospel, rock and pop.

Chords to learn next

Other C chords