Dsus4 chord
D suspended fourth. The suspended fourth chord: the third replaced by the fourth. It has no major or minor quality, and it usually leads back to a triad.
Click a note to hear it
- Notes
- D G A
- Formula
- 1 4 5
- Intervals
- P1 P4 P5
- Also written
- Dsus
Notes in Dsus4
Dsus4 is spelled D G A: three notes stacked from the root D.
| Note | Interval above D | Role | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | root | 1 | |
| P4 | eleventh | 4 | |
| P5 | fifth | 5 |
Inversions
Putting a different chord tone in the bass gives each inversion. The chord is the same; the bass note changes how it sounds and what it can lead to.
| Position | Notes, low to high | Symbol | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | D G A | Dsus4 | |
| First inversion | G A D | Dsus4/G | |
| Second inversion | A D G | Dsus4/A |
On the piano
The root position voicing, with every chord tone lit in its own colour. Click a key to hear it.
On the guitar
Dsus4 in standard tuning. The open shape comes first; the barre shapes slide anywhere on the neck. Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right); X means do not play that string.
Open
E-shape barre at fret 10
A-shape barre at fret 5
What it sounds like
Csus4 is C, F and G, with the fourth, five semitones above the root, in place of the third. The fourth sits a perfect fourth above the root and a major second below the fifth, so it rubs against both. Because the chord has no third, it is neither major nor minor, and the ear waits for a third to arrive. The tension is moderate and expectant, and the chord sounds unfinished until the fourth falls to the third. The fifth keeps the frame stable.
How it is used
The suspended fourth often appears on the dominant, as Vsus4, in both major and minor keys. A dominant suspension resolves to the dominant triad, with the fourth falling to the third, and the dominant then resolves to I. In classical music the same shape appears as the 4-3 suspension, where a fourth held over from one chord falls to the third of the next. Pop and rock use sus4 chords in strumming patterns and as a short pause before the major or minor triad.
How it is built
The suspended fourth is a root with a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth, 0, 5 and 7 semitones above the root. Common symbols are Csus4, Csus and C4. Csus4 and Fsus2 are enharmonic, since C, F and G form the same set as F, G and C, so the two names describe one set of notes. Inverting Csus4 with F in the bass gives Csus4/F, which is the root position of Fsus2. The chord has no third to name its quality.
Which keys contain Dsus4
Dsus4 is not built from any one major or minor key’s own notes. It appears through borrowing, alteration or chromatic voice leading, which is part of why it sounds coloured.
Scales that fit Dsus4
Scales that contain every note of the chord, so they can be played over it:
- C major
- C melodic minor
- C Dorian
- C Lydian
- C Mixolydian
- C♯ Locrian
- D major
- D natural minor
- D harmonic minor
- D melodic minor
- D Dorian
- D Phrygian
- D Mixolydian
- E♭ Lydian
Other D chords
How to practise it
Play Gsus4, then G7 and C major in succession. The C in Gsus4 falls to B in G7, which is the third of the dominant, and the B then rises to C in the tonic. Listen to the fourth resolve. Then repeat the pattern with Dsus4, D7 and G, where the G falls to F♯.
Further reading
- Suspended Chords: Sus2 and Sus4 ExplainedHarmony · 7 min
- Chord Symbols Explained: Major, Minor, Seventh and Slash ChordsHarmony · 8 min
- Non-Chord Tones: Passing, Neighbour, Suspension and MoreHarmony · 7 min
Questions
What notes are in a Dsus4 chord?
Dsus4 contains D, G, A. That is the root, eleventh, fifth of the chord.
How do you spell D suspended fourth?
Stack the intervals P1, P4, P5 above D: D, G, A.
What other symbols mean Dsus4?
Lead sheets also write it Dsus. They are the same chord.
What is the difference between Csus4 and C?
C is C, E and G. Csus4 replaces E with F, so the chord is C, F and G. F sits a semitone above the position of the major third, so the chord loses its major quality. Until the F falls back to E, the chord sounds suspended and unfinished.
What does the 4 in sus4 mean?
It means the fourth scale step above the root, five semitones up. In C, that note is F. Sus means suspended, a term from classical counterpoint, where a note held over from one chord resolves down to the third of the next. In sus4, the fourth stands in for the third until it resolves.
Is Csus4 the same as Fsus2?
Yes, in pitch. Csus4 is C, F and G, and Fsus2 is F, G and C, so both chords contain the same three notes. Inverting Csus4 with F in the bass gives Fsus2 in root position. Writers choose the name according to the chord it leads from or to.