Gsus4 Chord

The Gsus4 chord is a suspended fourth chord built on the root note G. Its notes are G, C and D.

Suspended fourth chords feel tense and expectant. The fourth wants to resolve down to the third, which makes sus4 a classic tool for building energy right before a major or minor chord.

Gsus4 on piano

Piano diagram of the Gsus4 chordCDGCDGGsus4 — G · C · D

To play Gsus4 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on G, middle finger on C, and little finger on D. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Gsus4 on guitar

Guitar chord diagram of the Gsus4 chord3frGsus4

On guitar, Gsus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they do not mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Gsus4
G · C · D

Gsus4 chord notes

Formula: 1 · 4 · 5Notes: G · C · D
DegreeIntervalSemitonesNote
1Root0G
4Perfect fourth5C
5Perfect fifth7D

How to use the Gsus4 chord

The Gsus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. Starting from the root G, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: G, C and D. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to any other key.

Suspended fourth chords appear in rock riffs, worship music and folk. They usually sit right before the corresponding major chord, creating a strong pull into the downbeat.

Common progressions

The Gsus4 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression
I → V → vi → IV
GDEmC
Classic I-IV-V
I → IV → V → I
GCDG
50s progression
I → vi → IV → V
GEmCD

Related chords to Gsus4

Once you are comfortable with Gsus4, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Gsus4 and are a natural next step in your practice.

Csus4
C · F · G
C♯sus4
C♯ · F♯ · G♯
Dsus4
D · G · A
E♭sus4
E♭ · A♭ · B♭
G Major
G · B · D
G Minor
G · A♯ · D
G7
G · B · D · F
Gmaj7
G · B · D · F♯

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Gsus4 chord?
The Gsus4 chord contains G, C and D.
Is the Gsus4 chord major or minor?
Gsus4 is a suspended fourth chord. Suspended fourth chords feel tense and expectant. The fourth wants to resolve down to the third, which makes sus4 a classic tool for building energy right before a major or minor chord.
How do you play Gsus4 on piano?
Place your fingers on G, C and D and play the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.
How do you play Gsus4 on guitar?
Gsus4 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.
What chords work well with Gsus4?
Gsus4 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Gsus4 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chordsTry the PianoOpen Circle of Fifths