How to play G major 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar
Shape xx5532
Shape characteristics
Partial barre
One finger presses two strings at the same fret. A lighter, less tiring grip than a full barre while still being fully movable.
First position · fret 2-5
Sits near the nut where frets are widest. Lower string tension makes it easier to fret cleanly, a comfortable choice for singer-songwriter strumming and beginner-friendly progressions.
Four-string voicing
Compact and punchy. Easy to mute cleanly, cuts through a dense mix, and transitions quickly to other shapes.
Bass: G · Top: F♯
The root is in the bass, so the chord sounds grounded and stable. This is the natural starting voicing for most progressions.
Compared to Shape 330032 , this voicing uses an open chord and adds 2 more ringing strings for a fuller sound.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string
- 3 Place the 4th finger on the 5th fret of the 3rd string and 4th string in barre position
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "xx5532" mean?
The sequence xx5532 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this G major 7th suspended 4th shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a G major 7th suspended 4th chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for G major 7th suspended 4th. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Why do some strings have an 'x'?
Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the G major 7th suspended 4th chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.
Other shapes
Showing 8 of 48 playable shapes