Asus4 chord on piano
Asus4 is A, D and E. A is the white key between the last two black keys of the three. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · A–D–E · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- A · D · E
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
How to play Asus4 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from A: 5 half steps up to D then 2 half steps up to E. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on A, 3 on D and 5 on E.
- Left hand: 5 on A, 3 on D and 1 on E.
- On the keyboard it's white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Csus4, Dsus4, Esus4 and Gsus4, so your hand shape carries over.
Asus4 inversions
- root position: A–D–E. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: D–E–A, with D at the bottom. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: E–A–D, with E at the bottom. Right hand 1-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
Changing from Asus4 to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold Asus4 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A (resolves down to the third): Asus4 to A: play A in root position (A–C♯–E) and A and E stay under the same fingers, while D moves down to C♯. A on piano
- D (IV in A major): Asus4 to D: play D in 2nd inversion (A–D–F♯) and A and D stay under the same fingers, while E moves up to F♯. D on piano
- E (V in A major): Asus4 to E: play E in 1st inversion (G♯–B–E) and E stays under the same finger, while A moves down to G♯ and D down to B. E on piano
Asus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. Asus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into A or Am to resolve. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
Practice Asus4 in two minutes
Start with a broken chord, A D E D A, then play it solid. Finish with the inversions in order: A–D–E; D–E–A; E–A–D.
The keys of Asus4
Asus4 is a suspended fourth chord, 1–4–5 from A. Root position, from the bottom: how Asus4 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| D | white key | RH 3 · LH 3 | perfect fourth |
| E | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Asus4 in context
Asus4 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: Asus4 on guitar and Asus4 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Next to try on piano
Other suspended fourth chords
Asus4 on piano: questions
What notes are in Asus4 on piano?
A, D and E: A (white key), D (white key) and E (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play Asus4 on piano?
Press A, D and E together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on A, 3 on D and 5 on E.
What are the inversions of Asus4?
1st inversion (D–E–A) and 2nd inversion (E–A–D), after root position (A–D–E). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does Asus4 look like on the keyboard?
white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Csus4, Dsus4, Esus4 and Gsus4, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Asus4. Updated September 2026.