Acoustic · Beginner · major key

I–Isus2–I–Isus4 shimmer

I – Isus2 – I – Isus4 — One chord, decorated with sus2 and sus4 — great with open strings.

Chord shapes in C major (standard tuning)

Using a different tuning? Open it in the Looper — it finds playable shapes for whatever tuning you choose.

How the chords work

Written in Roman numerals, this progression is I – Isus2 – I – Isus4 — in C major that is C – Csus2 – C – Csus4. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.

I–Isus2–I–Isus4 shimmer in all 12 keys

Practice ideas

• Beginners: play one strum per chord and say the chord names out loud, then two strums, then a steady down-down-up-up-down-up pattern.
• Change keys with a capo: keep the C major shapes and move a capo up — the capo calculator shows which fret gives the key you want.
• Solo over it: loop it in the Looper and improvise with the C major pentatonic or C major scale — the scale pages show every position and play a backing track.
• Train your ear: the progression ear trainer mixes this with similar progressions until you can tell them apart.

Similar progressions

• Isus4–I–IVsus2–IV Isus4 – I – IVsus2 – IV
• Acoustic add9 loop Iadd9 – V – vi – IVadd9
• IV–V–I cadence loop IV – V – I – I
• I–IV–V7–I I – IV – V7 – I
• I–vi–I–vi–IV–V ballad I – vi – I – vi – IV – V – I – V
• Plagal "amen" cadence I – IV – I – IV

← Imaj7–I6 vamp · Isus4–I–IVsus2–IV →

← All 198 chord progressions · Generate a new one

Questions