The Csus4 Guitar Chord is a gateway to a richer, more nuanced sound in your playing. Falling under the umbrella of suspended chords, the Csus4 stands out due to its unique sonic character. Unlike major or minor chords, suspended chords forgo the third interval, and in the case of Csus4, replace it with the perfect fourth. This results in a chord built from the notes C, F, and G, defined by the intervals: Root (1), Perfect Fourth (4), and Perfect Fifth (5).
For guitarists venturing beyond basic chords, understanding chord construction through intervals is invaluable. If you’re new to this concept, our comprehensive guide to building chords provides a foundational understanding of interval stacking and music theory, making chords like the Csus4 much more accessible.
If you’re already acquainted with intervals, you’ll appreciate how the Perfect Fourth and Perfect Fifth work together to create the distinctive suspended quality of the Csus4 chord. To deepen your knowledge of these essential musical building blocks, explore our dedicated fretboard intervals tutorial.
Mastering the Csus4 chord is a significant step for any guitarist looking to expand their harmonic palette. It’s a versatile chord found across diverse musical genres, and adding it to your repertoire opens up a world of new musical possibilities. If suspended chords intrigue you, our in-depth suspended chords tutorial offers a broader exploration of this fascinating chord family.
Once you’re comfortable playing the Csus4 chord, put your knowledge to the test with our interactive chord identifier tool. This tool allows you to analyze chord shapes on the fretboard, ensuring accuracy and reinforcing your understanding of chord construction.
This introduction aims to provide a solid starting point for understanding the Csus4 chord. Now, let’s delve into the practical aspects of playing this expressive chord!
Decoding the Csus4: Notes and Formula
The Csus4 chord is elegantly simple in its construction, comprising just three core notes:
- C – The Root (1)
- F – The Perfect Fourth (4)
- G – The Perfect Fifth (5)
These notes create the characteristic “suspended” sound, replacing the major or minor third with the 4th.
The formula for any Suspended Fourth chord is:
1 – 4 – 5
This translates to the following intervals from the root note:
| Interval | Note relative to Root |
|---|---|
| Root (1) | Root Note |
| Major Second (2) | |
| Minor Third (b3) | |
| Major Third (3) | |
| Perfect Fourth (4) | Fourth Note |
| Perfect Fifth (5) | Fifth Note |
Understanding this formula allows you to construct Sus4 chords starting from any root note.
Csus4 Chord Positions on the Guitar
Chord diagrams are read from left to right, representing the guitar strings from the 6th string (thickest, low E) to the 1st string (thinnest, high E). The numbers indicate fret numbers, and “x” means the string is not played. “O” means the string is played open.
If barre chords are new to you, our Bar Chords Tips tutorial offers valuable guidance. For a text-based representation of these diagrams, visit our accessible chords page for Csus4.
Position 1: Open Csus4 Chord
This is the easiest and most common way to play the Csus4 chord.
Csus4 Open Position Guitar Chord Diagram
- Tuning: Standard (EADGBe)
- Chord Diagram:
e|--1-- B|--1-- G|--0-- D|--0-- A|--3-- E|--x-- - Fingering:
- 1st finger (index) on the 1st fret of the B string
- 1st finger (index) on the 1st fret of the high E string
- 2nd finger (middle) on the 3rd fret of the A string
- G and D strings are played open.
- Notes in this voicing: (x A D G C F) – omitting the low E string.
This open position is perfect for beginners and offers a bright, resonant sound.
Position 2: Barre Csus4 Chord (Movable)
This barre chord shape is movable, meaning you can slide it up and down the neck to play different Sus4 chords.
Csus4 Barre Chord Position 2 Guitar Diagram
- Tuning: Standard (EADGBe)
- Chord Diagram:
e|--6-- B|--6-- G|--6-- D|--8-- A|--8-- E|--6-- - Fingering:
- Barre across the 6th fret with your 1st finger (index) across all strings except the D string.
- 3rd finger (ring) on the 8th fret of the A string
- 4th finger (pinky) on the 8th fret of the D string
- 2nd finger (middle) can reinforce the barre or be lifted slightly.
- Root Note: 6th fret of the E string is C.
- Notes in this voicing: (C G C F C E) – Notice this voicing doesn’t contain the G note in the typical 5th position, but emphasizes the root and 4th.
This barre shape offers a fuller, more powerful sound and is essential for playing Csus4 chord in different keys up the neck.
Position 3: Barre Csus4 Chord (Movable Variation)
This is another movable barre chord variation, offering a slightly different voicing.
Csus4 Barre Chord Position 3 Guitar Diagram
- Tuning: Standard (EADGBe)
- Chord Diagram:
e|--8-- B|--11- G|--10- D|--10- A|--8-- E|--x-- - Fingering:
- 1st finger (index) barre across the 8th fret of the A and D strings.
- 2nd finger (middle) on the 10th fret of the G string.
- 3rd finger (ring) on the 10th fret of the D string.
- 4th finger (pinky) on the 11th fret of the B string.
- Root Note: 8th fret of the A string is C.
- Notes in this voicing: (x C G C F G) – This voicing provides a balanced sound with root, 4th and 5th present.
This barre shape is useful for connecting chords higher up the fretboard and provides a brighter tone compared to position 2.
Explore our comprehensive guitar chords library for even more chord shapes. For a printable resource, download our Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf.
Csus4 and Other Root Notes
The beauty of music theory is its scalability. You can play a Sus4 chord with any root note. Here are some common Sus4 chords to explore:
C sus4 | D sus4 | E sus4 | F sus4 | G sus4 | A sus4 | B sus4 | C#sus4 | D#sus4 | F#sus4 | G#sus4 | A#sus4 | Absus4 | Bbsus4 | Dbsus4 | Ebsus4 | Gbsus4
Experiment with Csus4 Voicings
The fretboard is your canvas! Use the fretboard map below to discover different voicings and inversions of the Csus4 chord. Experiment with picking different notes to create unique sonic textures.
[Fretboard Map Image – Recreate or Link to Interactive Fretboard if possible, otherwise omit]
By understanding the construction and exploring different positions of the Csus4 chord, you’ll add a valuable and expressive tool to your guitar playing arsenal. Keep practicing and experimenting to unlock the full potential of suspended chord harmony!
