Bass · suspended fourth
Esus4 Chord on Bass
E Suspended 4th is E, A, B — the 1-4-5 pattern of a suspended fourth chord. Here is the shape, the audio, and what usually goes wrong.
Good news: Esus4 has an open shape on bass, so you can play it without barring anything. Start there and work up the neck later.
Start here — Root-4-5 Shape (2nd fret)
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Root-4-5 Shape (2nd fret) — open position, so several strings ring unfretted — barred at fret 2.
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
Esus4 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on bass.
Esus4 on Bass — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play Esus4 on bass?
“Root-4-5 Shape (2nd fret)” — which we rate intermediate — is the easiest Esus4 shape on bass. Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
What notes are in the E Suspended 4th chord?
E Suspended 4th is E, A, B — the 1-4-5 interval pattern of a suspended fourth chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
What can I play instead of Esus4?
The nearest stand-ins on bass that keep the same root are E5, Esus2, E. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play Esus4 on other instruments?
Yes. Esus4 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, ukulele, mandolin, banjo.
Learn the theory behind Esus4
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
Chord Inversions and Slash Chords — Same Notes, Different Attitude
Suspending or adding a tone is a voicing decision, the same kind as an inversion or a slash chord.
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Chord Progressions Explained
These chords earn their keep inside a progression, leaning on the plain chord that follows.
7 min read
Intervals — The Only Music Theory You Actually Need
Which degree got swapped in, and what that one interval changes.
5 min read