A Suspended Fourth Seventh Guitar Arpeggio
Guitar arpeggio — fretboard diagram
A Suspended Fourth Seventh Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: A, D, E, G
Intervals: 1P, 4P, 5P, 7m
Formula: 5-W-WH
Number of notes: 4
Also known as: 7sus4, 7sus
The A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio contains 4 notes (A, D, E, G). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the A Suspended Fourth Seventh Arpeggio
Play the A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio whenever a A Suspended Fourth Seventh chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio uses 4 notes (A, D, E, G) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play A Suspended Fourth Seventh Arpeggio on Guitar
Root your A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio at fret 5 on the 6th (low E), or alternatively at open position using open A string. This 4-note arpeggio (A, D, E, G) benefits from economy picking, combining sweep and alternate picking motions. Practice isolating two-string pairs to build coordination before linking the full shape.
The A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio avoids the third, creating an open, unresolved sound. It works over Asus4, Asus2, A7sus4 voicings and is perfect for creating a modern, ambiguous harmonic feel that neither commits to major nor minor.
Practice Routine
Play the A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on A. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 4 notes (A, D, E, G). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Guitar Tips
On guitar, practice the A Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio using sweep picking across all six strings. Start with downstrokes ascending and upstrokes descending at a slow tempo, keeping each note separated rather than blurred. Mute unused strings with your fretting hand to keep the sound clean.
Related Resources
Explore A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Other Tunings
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Drop D (E-B-G-D-A-D)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in DADGAD (D-A-G-D-A-D)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Open G (D-B-G-D-G-D)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Baritone (B Standard) (B-F#-D-A-E-B)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in 7-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in 8-string (E-B-G-D-A-E-B-F#)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Drop C (D-A-F-C-G-C)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Drop B (C#-G#-E-B-F#-B)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Open D (D-A-F#-D-A-D)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Half Step Down (Eb-Bb-Gb-Db-Ab-Eb)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Open E (E-B-G#-E-B-E)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Open A (E-C#-A-E-A-E)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Double Drop D (D-B-G-D-A-D)
- A Suspended Fourth Seventh in Open C (E-C-G-C-G-C)