Root position
C – F – GThe root C is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · 4 · 5
C Suspended Fourth Piano Chord (Csus4)
Csus4 is built from C, F and G — the formula 1 · 4 · 5, or 5 and 7 semitones above C. The shape uses white keys only, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
C Suspended fourth
Notes
C · F · GFormula
1 · 4 · 5Right hand
1 · 4 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds Csus4. Press P or the Play chord button to hear C, F, G sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in Csus4
A suspended fourth chord replaces the third with the fourth degree. The fourth sits one semitone above the major third and leans onto it, so a sus4 is usually heard as a delay that resolves into the plain triad underneath it.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cwhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Fwhite key | Perfect fourth | 4 | 5 | 4 · ring finger |
| Gwhite key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play Csus4 on piano
- Find C: it is the white key immediately left of every group of two black keys.
- Build upwards from C using 5 and 7 semitones to reach F and G.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on C, finger 4 on F and finger 5 on G. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Every note here is a white key, so you can sit your hand slightly further out from the fallboard.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how Csus4 settles.
- Try first inversion as well: F – G – C. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
Csus4 in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
F – G – CF is the lowest note, so the perfect fourth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
G – C – FG is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain Csus4
In C major the chord functions as Isus4. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 10 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- C majorIsus4
- E♭ majorvisus4
- F majorVsus4
- A♭ majoriiisus4
- B♭ majoriisus4
- C minorisus4
- D minorVIIsus4
- F minorvsus4
- G minorivsus4
- A minorIIIsus4
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
Csus4 against C major
Csus4 and C major share C and G. Moving the major third E up 1 semitone to the perfect fourth F turns C major into Csus4.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes C, G still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open C major →Good questions
Csus4 questions
What notes are in the Csus4 chord?
Csus4 contains C, F and G. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 4 · 5, or 5 and 7 semitones above C.
What is the right-hand fingering for Csus4?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on C, 4 (ring finger) on F and 5 (little finger) on G. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is Csus4 different from C major?
Csus4 and C major share C and G. Moving the major third E up 1 semitone to the perfect fourth F turns C major into Csus4.
Which keys use the Csus4 chord?
It occurs naturally in C major (Isus4), E♭ major (visus4), F major (Vsus4), A♭ major (iiisus4), B♭ major (iisus4) and C minor (isus4) among others. The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of Csus4?
root position is C – F – G, first inversion is F – G – C and second inversion is G – C – F. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.