Which strings do I strum for A suspended four?

5 strings, from the A string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E string.

What notes are in a A suspended four chord?

A, D, E. The A is the root, the note the chord is named after. There is no third, so it is neither major nor minor.

What chords go with Asus4?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, D and E, and its relative minor, F#m. Songs move between these because they share notes.

suspended fourth chord

A suspended four chord on guitar

A with the pinky at fret 3 on the B string. Tense, then it wants to drop back to A.

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Where the fingers go

1
index finger, D string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D.
2
middle finger, G string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
3
pinky, B string, fret 3
Count from the thick string: E A D G B.
4
Leave the A, thin e strings open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
5
Strum 5 strings, from the A string down
Skip the thick E. It would add a note that does not belong.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in Asus4

A chord is three or four notes played together. A suspended four is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
A	root	A string, open; G string, fret 2
D	fourth	B string, fret 3
E	fifth	D string, fret 2; thin e string, open

The root, A, is the note it is named after. There is no third in this chord, the note that would make it major or minor, which is why it sounds tense, it wants to fall back to the plain chord.

Where it sits on the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.

D and E are Asus4’s neighbours. Most songs in Asus4 use one or both.
F#m is its relative minor: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

The pinky lands on the wrong string

It goes on the B string, the second thinnest, at fret 3. The thin e stays open.

Tip

Asus4 to A

Lift the pinky and the tension releases. Do it on the last beat of a bar.

Songs that use it

Rock and folk in A. The partner of Asus2.

None of the songs on the site use Asus4 yet. It is coming with the next batch.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for A suspended four?: 5 strings, from the A string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E string.
What notes are in a A suspended four chord?: A, D, E. The A is the root, the note the chord is named after. There is no third, so it is neither major nor minor.
What chords go with Asus4?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, D and E, and its relative minor, F#m. Songs move between these because they share notes.