What notes are in the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio?

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio contains 3 notes: E, A, B. The intervals are 1P, 4P, 5P. The root note is E.

How do you practice the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio on guitar?

Practice the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio ascending and descending across all fretboard positions. Start slow with a metronome, learn each shape, and connect patterns across all strings. Listen to how each note sounds over backing tracks to train your ear.

What is the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio used for?

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio outlines the notes of the E Suspended Fourth chord. It is essential for soloing, improvisation, and composing melodies — allowing musicians to play chord tones melodically over jazz, blues, and rock progressions.

E Suspended Fourth Guitar Arpeggio

Guitar arpeggio — fretboard diagram

E Suspended Fourth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals

Notes: E, A, B

Intervals: 1P, 4P, 5P

Formula: 5-W

Number of notes: 3

Also known as: sus4, sus

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio contains 3 notes (E, A, B). Use the interactive fretboard diagram above to explore each arpeggio shape and pattern on Guitar. Practice ascending and descending from the root note across all strings to learn the sound of this arpeggio.

When to Use the E Suspended Fourth Arpeggio

Play the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio whenever a E Suspended Fourth chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.

Arpeggio vs. Scale

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio uses 3 notes (E, A, B) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.

How to Play E Suspended Fourth Arpeggio on Guitar

Start the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio in open position, using the open E string as your root. With only 3 notes (E, A, B), this arpeggio spans wide intervals across the strings — sweep picking is an efficient way to move through it cleanly. Keep your pick angle consistent and let each note ring individually.

The E Suspended Fourth arpeggio avoids the third, creating an open, unresolved sound. It works over Esus4, Esus2, E7sus4 voicings and is perfect for creating a modern, ambiguous harmonic feel that neither commits to major nor minor.

Practice Routine — Exercises for Playing

Play the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on E. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 3 notes (E, A, B). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.

Guitar Tips

On guitar, practice the E Suspended Fourth arpeggio using sweep picking across all six strings. Start with downstrokes ascending and upstrokes descending at a slow tempo, keeping each note separated rather than blurred. Mute unused strings with your fretting hand to keep the sound clean.

Related Resources

Explore E Suspended Fourth in Other Tunings

← Back to all Guitar arpeggios