Esus4 Chord
The Esus4 chord contains E, A, B played together. Its middle note is the fourth, not a third. That missing third leaves the chord open to a major or minor follow-up.
- Notes: E-A-B
- Formula: 1-4-5
- No third
Where are the notes?
Play E, A and B together. All three are white keys. The fourth sits one semitone above the major third G sharp. That tiny gap is the clearest way to hear the familiar sus4-to-major move.
The move is common, but a sus4 chord does not have to resolve immediately. Sometimes the melody keeps the fourth in place, or the harmony moves somewhere else. The symbol sus4 tells you the three notes, not the duration of a suspension.
How do its inversions work?
Move the lowest note up an octave while retaining all three pitch classes:
- Root position: E-A-B, E lowest.
- First inversion: A-B-E, A lowest.
- Second inversion: B-E-A, B lowest.
Play all three positions as blocks, then press “broken” to hear the order. The shape changes under your fingers while the chord's note names stay fixed. Chord Inversions explains how the bass affects the result.
What can replace the fourth?
Replace A with G sharp for E major. You can also replace it with G for E minor, though that is a different distance and a different sound. Play Esus4, then each answer while holding E and B. The E Major Chord shows the major triad on the same root.
Is this Esus2?
No. Esus2 uses F sharp instead of A. Both suspended chords omit the third, but their middle notes occupy different scale degrees. Alternate E-F sharp-B and E-A-B at the same volume. Suspended Fourth Chord explains the pattern beyond this root.
One small exercise
Play Esus4 twice, then lower A to G sharp on the third beat. Repeat from first inversion. If you can still hear the moving note when it is no longer in the middle of the keyboard shape, you understand the chord rather than just memorizing a finger pattern.