Dsus4 chord on guitar

Dsus4 is D, G and A. The easiest shape is x-x-0-2-3-3. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

x-x-0-2-3-3 · open · easy

Notes: D · G · A
Formula: 1 · 4 · 5
First shape: x-x-0-2-3-3

How to play Dsus4 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-0-2-3-3, reading from the low E string on the left:

A: index finger, 2nd fret of the G string.
D: middle finger, 3rd fret of the B string.
G: ring finger, 3rd fret of the high E string.
Leave the D string open: D.
Strum from the D string down; the low E and A strings stay silent.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
With four strings sounding, a shorter strum works best: start on the first played string and stop at the high E.

Other ways to play Dsus4

10-12-12-12-10-10: barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. Built on the Esus4 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-5-7-7-8-5: barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Asus4 shape moved up the neck.

Capo shortcuts for Dsus4

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 5th fret and play the open Asus4 shape (x-0-2-2-3-0). The chord sounds as Dsus4 because the capo raises every string by 5 half steps.

Dsus4 chord changes

The chords Dsus4 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

D (resolves down to the third): Dsus4 (x-x-0-2-3-3) to D (x-x-0-2-3-2): your index finger stays put, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger slides across to the B string at the same fret. Shared notes: D and A. D on guitar
G (IV in D major): Dsus4 (x-x-0-2-3-3) to G (3-2-0-0-0-3): your ring finger stays put, move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the low E string, 3rd fret. D and G carry over from one chord to the other. G on guitar
A (V in D major): Dsus4 (x-x-0-2-3-3) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): the index finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for A, which stays put while the rest moves. A on guitar

Dsus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. Dsus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into D or Dm to resolve. On guitar you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

A short Dsus4 drill

Arpeggiate x-x-0-2-3-3 from the lowest string: D, A, D, G. Then strum it and listen for the same 4 notes together. Finish by moving between x-x-0-2-3-3 and 10-12-12-12-10-10 to learn two positions of the same chord.

Where Dsus4 shows up

Dsus4 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: Dsus4 on piano and Dsus4 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Next to try on guitar

Other suspended fourth chords

Dsus4 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Dsus4 on guitar?

D, G and A. In the x-x-0-2-3-3 shape the strings play D (D string, open), A (G string), D (B string) and G (high E string), so D is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Dsus4 on guitar?

x-x-0-2-3-3, the shape at the top of this page. Open strings do part of the work, so no barre.

Is Dsus4 a barre chord on guitar?

Not the usual shape: x-x-0-2-3-3 needs no barre. The barre versions come later, higher on the neck.

Which string does Dsus4 start on?

In the x-x-0-2-3-3 shape the lowest string you play is the D string, open, which is D, the root. Skip the low E and A strings.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes D, G and A and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.