Esus4 chord on piano
Esus4 is E, A and B. E is the white key just right of the pair of black keys. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · E–A–B · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E · A · B
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
How to play Esus4 on piano
Start on E, count 5 half steps up to A then 2 half steps up to B. Press the 3 keys together and that's Esus4.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 3 on A and 5 on B.
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on A and 1 on B.
- On the keyboard it's white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Csus4, Dsus4, Gsus4 and Asus4, so your hand shape carries over.
Esus4 inversions
- root position: E–A–B. Right hand 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A–B–E, with A at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: B–E–A, with B at the bottom. RH 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let Esus4 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Changing from Esus4 to the chords around it
These are the changes you'll meet most often with Esus4, using the first shape of each chord.
- E (resolves down to the third): Esus4 to E: play E in root position (E–G♯–B) and E and B stay under the same fingers, while A moves down to G♯. E on piano
- A (IV in E major): Esus4 to A: play A in 2nd inversion (E–A–C♯) and E and A stay under the same fingers, while B moves up to C♯. A on piano
- B (V in E major): Esus4 to B: play B in 1st inversion (D♯–F♯–B) and B stays under the same finger, while E moves down to D♯ and A down to F♯. B on piano
Esus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. Esus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into E or Em to resolve. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
A short Esus4 drill
Start with a broken chord, E A B A E, then play it solid. Finish with the inversions in order: E–A–B; A–B–E; B–E–A.
The keys of Esus4
Esus4 is a suspended fourth chord, 1–4–5 from E. Root position, from the bottom: how Esus4 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A | white key | RH 3 · LH 3 | perfect fourth |
| B | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Keys and progressions with Esus4
Esus4 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try Esus4 on ukulele or Esus4 on guitar, or compare them on the Esus4 chord page.
Next to try on piano
Other suspended fourth chords
Esus4 on piano: questions
What notes are in Esus4 on piano?
E, A and B: E (white key), A (white key) and B (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play Esus4 on piano?
Press E, A and B together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on E, 3 on A and 5 on B.
What are the inversions of Esus4?
1st inversion (A–B–E) and 2nd inversion (B–E–A), after root position (E–A–B). Only the lowest note changes.
What does Esus4 look like on the keyboard?
white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Csus4, Dsus4, Gsus4 and Asus4, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E, A and B and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.