Esus4 chord on ukulele

Esus4 is E, A and B. The easiest shape is 4-4-0-0. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

4-4-0-0 · open · easy

Notes: E · A · B
Formula: 1 · 4 · 5
First shape: 4-4-0-0

How to play Esus4 on ukulele

Shape 1, 4-4-0-0, reading from the G string on the left:

Index finger: G string, 4th fret (B).
Middle finger: C string, 4th fret (E).
Let the open E and A strings ring (E and A).

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.
On ukulele you strum all four strings. The top G string is tuned higher than the C, which is why ukulele chords sound bright and close.

Other ways to play Esus4

9-9-7-7: movable shape at the 7th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

Capo shortcuts for Esus4

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open Dsus4 shape (2-2-3-0) or capo on the 4th fret and play the open Csus4 shape (0-0-1-3). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Moving between Esus4 and its neighbours

The chords Esus4 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E (resolves down to the third): Esus4 (4-4-0-0) to E (1-4-0-2): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the C string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for E and B, which stay put while the rest moves. E on ukulele
A (IV in E major): Esus4 (4-4-0-0) to A (2-1-0-0): your index finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret. Listen for E and A, which stay put while the rest moves. A on ukulele
B (V in E major): Esus4 (4-4-0-0) to B (4-3-2-2): the index finger goes to the E string, 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the C string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the G string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: B. B on ukulele

Esus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. All 3 notes of Esus4 fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. Esus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into E or Em to resolve. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short Esus4 drill

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: B, E, E, A. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Then switch to 9-9-7-7 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Keys and progressions with Esus4

Esus4 on guitar and piano

Esus4 on guitar and piano uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related E chords on ukulele

Other suspended fourth chords

Esus4 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in Esus4 on ukulele?

E, A and B. In the 4-4-0-0 shape the strings play B (G string), E (C string), E (E string, open) and A (A string, open), so E is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Esus4 on ukulele?

4-4-0-0, the first shape on this page. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is Esus4 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not usually: 4-4-0-0 needs no barre.

Which string does Esus4 start on?

In the 4-4-0-0 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 4th fret, which is B, the perfect fifth.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside Esus4. Updated September 2026.