Esus4 Piano Chord

Esus4 is the E suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: E, A and B. All three are white keys, where E major needs a black one.

1E3A5BC4C5

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

How to play Esus4 on piano, step by step

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

Resolving this chord means dropping the A to G sharp, a white key falling to the black key below it. That is one of the most recognisable moves in rock guitar, and it works the same way here.

Inversions of Esus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Esus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionA B E
Esus4 piano chord diagram, first inversion, A B E
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 inversionB E A
Esus4 piano chord diagram, second inversion, B E A
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 G sharp
That belongs to E major. Esus4 replaces it with A, a white key.
The top two notes clash
A and B are adjacent. The tension is the point, and it clears when the A resolves.
The hand feels stretched
E to A is a fourth, wider than a triad's gap. Open the hand from the knuckles.

What makes it an Esus4

E · A · B 1 4 5

Esus4 is E, A and B: the root, the fourth and the fifth, with the third suspended.

It is the V chord of A with its third held back, and the I chord of E in the same form. Rock in the key of E uses it constantly.

Esus4 vs E

E major has G sharp; Esus4 has A. Resolving means moving one finger down from a white key onto a black one.

The chord itself is easier than E major, since all three notes are white. It just does not stand still.

Questions about Esus4

What does sus mean in Esus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In Esus4 the third, G sharp, is replaced by A, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a Esus4 chord on piano?

E, A and B.

What is the difference between Esus4 and Esus2?

Which note stands in for the third. Esus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; Esus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve Esus4?

Move A down to G sharp, which turns the chord into E 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 E chords