E7sus4 Chord on Guitar

Fingerings

How to Practice It

Because only one finger beyond open strings is needed, E7sus4 is easy to strum percussively and quick to move into and out of — try resolving it directly into plain E7 by shifting that single finger down one fret, the exact motion worship and gospel guitar parts use constantly right before a dominant chord finally resolves. It's also a good chord for practicing rhythmic strumming patterns, since its simplicity leaves the fretting hand free to focus entirely on the strumming hand's timing.

Common Progressions

• A – E7sus4 – E7 – A (a suspended-to-resolved dominant move in A major)
• E7sus4 – A (V7sus4 – I)
• F#m – E7sus4 – A (vi – V7sus4 – I)
• A – E7sus4 – A (a suspended-dominant vamp around the tonic)

FAQ

Why does E7sus4 need only one extra finger?

The fourth that replaces the third lands on the same G string the flat seventh already occupies in plain open E7, so the sus4 version simply repositions that single note rather than adding a genuinely new one to the shape.

Where does E7sus4 resolve?

The same place plain E7 does — down a fourth to A major — since both chords share the identical dominant function, differing only in whether the third or fourth sits on top of the chord.

How is E7sus4 typically used in worship and gospel guitar?

As a suspended lead-in struck right before the dominant fully resolves, creating a brief moment of held tension that then releases into the plain E7 or directly into the A tonic, a common build-and-release technique in those styles.

Is E7sus4 easier to play than D#7sus4?

Yes — the fingering is identical, but E7sus4 sits in open position with wide string spacing, while D#7sus4 barres the same single-finger shape up at the cramped eleventh fret.

How does E7sus4 differ from E11, given both drop the third?

E11 drops both the third and fifth, keeping only the barre notes plus the eleventh, while E7sus4 keeps the fifth and simply swaps the third for a fourth — related but distinct ways of removing the chord's defining third.

Does E7sus4 ever stay unresolved rather than moving into E7?

In extended vamping sections, yes — some progressions hold the suspended dominant for its own open, anticipatory color rather than resolving it right away, though the classic usage treats it as a brief passing step toward the full dominant.

Why is a suspended dominant like this one so effective right before a cadence?

The missing third leaves the chord's identity temporarily ambiguous, and resolving that ambiguity down into the third right as the chord moves toward its tonic creates a small but satisfying release of tension exactly when the listener's ear is anticipating one.