E Suspended 4th Guitar Chord — Open D
Guitar chord voicings in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
E Suspended 4th Voicings in Open D
E Suspended 4th filtered by fret:
E Suspended 4th in Open D Tuning — Guide
The E Suspended 4th chord is made up of the following notes: E, A, B.
Intervals: 1P, 4P, 5P.
The E Suspended 4th chord in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
E sus4 replaces the third with a perfect fourth, producing the notes E, A, B (intervals 1P, 4P, 5P). Without the third, the chord is neither major nor minor — just open tension waiting to resolve. Suspended fourth chords create a yearning, unfinished quality that has been exploited brilliantly in folk, rock, and ambient music. They often resolve down to the major chord, providing a satisfying release.
How to Play E Suspended 4th
On guitar, the most common voicing for E sus4 is 0-2-2-2-0-0 — open position adding one finger to the E major shape for a bright suspension. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
E Suspended 4th in Progressions
E sus4 is used wherever you want tension without committing to major or minor. It commonly replaces or precedes the E major chord, creating a sus4-to-major resolution. In modern music, sus chords often stand on their own as ambient, open-sounding harmonies.
Common Substitutions
E major, Aadd9, or E7sus4 offer different resolutions of the suspended tension.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.