Csus4 Chord on Guitar
Csus4 C F G 3 shapes Open chord
Chord diagrams
How to play Csus4 on guitar
The Csus4 chord (Csus4) is made of C, F, G - 1 4 5. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the open shape x33011, with no barre. Below are 3 shapes in all, from the lowest on the neck to the highest; the same chord sounds brighter the higher you play it.
A-shape barre, fret 3 x35563
E-shape barre, fret 8 8(10)(10)(10)88
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right). Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. x = do not play the string, o = open string, a bar = one finger across several strings.
Notes
What notes are in Csus4?
The Csus4 chord has 3 different notes: C, F, G. No third: the fourth (5 half steps above C) takes its place and usually falls back to the third. A guitar chord rarely has as many strings as notes, so shapes double some of them: the e-shape barre, fret 8 sounds all six strings.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| C | Root | 0 |
| F | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| G | Perfect 5th | 7 |
Chords that go with it
Chords in the key of C major
The seven chords built on the C major scale, with the easiest shape of each. I, IV and V are the three major chords that carry most songs in this key; vi is its relative minor.
A progression to strum
- I - V - vi - IVC - G - Am - F
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play Csus4 on guitar?
The open shape x33011: A string fret 3 (finger 3), D string fret 3 (finger 4), B string fret 1 (finger 1), high E string fret 1 (finger 1); let G ring open, do not play low E.
What notes are in the Csus4 chord?
The Csus4 chord (Csus4) is made of C, F, G. Its formula is 1 4 5. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Is there a barre version of Csus4?
Yes: a-shape barre, fret 3 (x35563), and e-shape barre, fret 8 (8(10)(10)(10)88). Barre shapes have no open strings, so you can cut the sound short with your fretting hand.
Keep playing
Strum Csus4, then build a song around it
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