Csus4

Csus4 is C, F and G, a suspended fourth. The shape this page opens on is written x33011, lowest string first.

Note by note. C is the root, F is the fourth and G is the fifth.

Also written Csus or C suspended 4th. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Csus4 on the guitar, and 49 derived voicings in the triad family.

One note away. Change a single note of Csus4 and you have C (with one note moved), Cm (with one note moved), Csus2 (with one note moved), Csus2sus4 (with one note added), C5 (with one note taken away) or C7sus4 (with one note added).

In which keys. Every note of Csus4 belongs to C major (the I), C minor (the i), D minor (the ♭VII), Eb major (the vi), F major (the V), F minor (the v), G minor (the iv), Ab major (the iii), A minor (the ♭III) and Bb major (the ii).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x33011, x35563, 8x5568, 88x068, xx5568, 8-10-10-10-8-8, x-x-10-12-13-13, x-15-15-12-13-x.

Under the hand. 1 of the 8 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 1 open string with 1 left unplayed. 2 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 15th.

Triad. Three notes across one string set. Csus4 has xx301x, xxx011, x3301x, 1330xx, xx3011, xx3013, x330xx, 333xxx.

What kind of chord this is. Csus4 is a suspended chord — root and fifth, with a second or fourth where the third would be — or nothing at all. suspended and power chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.