What notes are in the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio?

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio has 3 notes: E, A, B. The intervals are 1P, 4P, 5P.

What is the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio used for?

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio is used to outline the Suspended Fourth chord in solos and melodies. Playing arpeggios is fundamental for jazz improvisation, neoclassical guitar, and melodic composition.

What is the difference between a Suspended Fourth chord and a Suspended Fourth arpeggio?

A Suspended Fourth chord plays all its notes simultaneously, while the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio plays the same notes (E, A, B) one at a time in sequence. Arpeggios are essential for single-note melodic lines over chord progressions.

E Suspended Fourth Guitar Arpeggio

Guitar arpeggio — fretboard diagram

E Suspended Fourth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals

Notes: E, A, B

Intervals: 1P, 4P, 5P

Formula: 5-W

Number of notes: 3

Also known as: sus4, sus

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio contains 3 notes (E, A, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Guitar with different tunings and fret ranges.

When to Use the E Suspended Fourth Arpeggio

Play the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio whenever a E Suspended Fourth 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 E Suspended Fourth arpeggio uses 3 notes (E, A, B) 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 E Suspended Fourth Arpeggio on Guitar

Start the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio in open position, using the open E string as your root. With only 3 notes (E, A, B), this arpeggio spans wide intervals across the strings — sweep picking is an efficient way to move through it cleanly. Keep your pick angle consistent and let each note ring individually.

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio avoids the third, creating an open, unresolved sound. It works over Esus4, Esus2, E7sus4 voicings and is perfect for creating a modern, ambiguous harmonic feel that neither commits to major nor minor.

Practice Routine

Play the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on E. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 3 notes (E, A, B). 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 E Suspended Fourth 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 E Suspended Fourth in Other Tunings

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