Asus4

A Suspended 4th chord

Notes

ADE

Intervals

1115

Root

Voicings on standard tuning

Voicing 1

○

2fr

Voicing 2

○

2fr

Voicing 3

○

5fr

Voicing 4

○

2fr

Voicing 5

○

2fr

Voicing 6

○

5fr

Interval formula

1 – 4 – 5

Sound character

tense and unresolved, begging to fall back to the plain major

Where it appears

Classic suspension before a major chord; extremely common in gospel, worship and 70s rock.

I–V–vi–IV

With Asus4 as the tonic, this is the classic four-chord pop loop.

ii–V–I

Asus4 is the resting point everything resolves to.

I–IV–V

The three-chord backbone of folk, country and early rock and roll.