Dsus4 Piano Chord

Dsus4 is the D suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: D, G and A. All three are white keys, where D major needs a black one.

1D3G5AC4C5

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

How to play Dsus4 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the D above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): D
  3. Middle finger (3): G
  4. Little finger (5): A
  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 D on its own as a bass note.

Dsus4 uses no black keys at all, so it is easier than D major. Resolving it means moving the G down to F sharp, which lands on the black key.

Inversions of Dsus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Dsus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionG A D
Dsus4 piano chord diagram, first inversion, G A D
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 inversionA D G
Dsus4 piano chord diagram, second inversion, A D G
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

You have played F sharp
That belongs to D major. Dsus4 replaces it with G, a white key one step higher.
The top two notes clash
G and A are adjacent. That is the suspension; it resolves when the G falls to F sharp.
The middle finger is stretched
D to G is a fourth, wider than the gap in a plain triad. Let the hand open from the knuckles rather than pulling the fingers apart.

What makes it a Dsus4

D · G · A 1 4 5

Dsus4 is D, G and A: the root, the fourth and the fifth. With no third the chord is neither major nor minor, only suspended.

It is the V chord of G with the third held back, and the I chord of D in the same form. Both uses are common in folk and rock.

Dsus4 vs D

D major has F sharp, a black key; Dsus4 has G, a white one. Resolving the suspension means moving one finger from a white key down to a black one.

That makes this pair a good exercise in changing depth as well as pitch.

Questions about Dsus4

What does sus mean in Dsus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In Dsus4 the third, F sharp, is replaced by G, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a Dsus4 chord on piano?

D, G and A.

What is the difference between Dsus4 and Dsus2?

Which note stands in for the third. Dsus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; Dsus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve Dsus4?

Move G down to F sharp, which turns the chord into D 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 D chords