Esus4 in the key of C. How can I use it?

Question

Recently I've discovered that Esus4 chord can be built by using notes from C major scale (Esus4 notes: E-A-B - no 'sharps' or 'flats'). But I don't know how can I use the chord in the keys of C or Am

I tried to find some ways to use the Esus4. For example, if I play the four chords (I, IV, V, vi) and continue the progression like this...

C - F - Am - G - Csus2 - Dm7 - Esus4...

Well... as far as I can tell, I have three options here. I can either resolve Esus4 into Am straightaway

... - Esus4 - Am

I can add E major chord in between (using the G# from A harmonic minor)

... - Esus4 - E - Am

Or I can use that big climactic moment to modulate into the A major (instead of resolving E into Am)

... - Esus4 - E - (wait a bit here) - A(sus4)

These, again, are the ways of using Esus4 chord in the keys of C or Am which I could think of. I would be happy to know if there are any other ways though!

Answer 1

Here are some ideas that stay within C maj / A min: moving to G; moving to F; moving to Emin; and two ways to move to Dmin.

X:0
T:Esus4 -> G
K:none
M:none
L:1/2
[EAB] [DGB]

X:0
T:Esus4 -> F
K:none
M:none
L:1/2
[EAB] [FAB] [FAc]

X:0
T:Esus4 -> Emin
K:none
M:none
L:1/2
[EAB] [EGB]

X:0
T:Esus4 -> Dmin (#1)
K:none
M:none
L:1/2
[EAB] [FAd]

X:0
T:Esus4 -> Dmin (#2)
K:none
M:none
L:1/2
[EAB] [E^Gc] [E=G^c] [E^Fd] [D=Fd]

Answer 2

You can 'un-sus' it to E or E7, the dominant of A minor. It's quite pretty to go C, Esus, E7, Asus, Am, Dsus, D7, G ... Or do the same thing WITHOUT 'un-sussing', a string of 'cycle of 5ths sus chords that DON'T resolve.

You can do the 'constant structure' thing, which basically means that if you keep the same chord shape (guitarists will typically do this by shifting a full barre chord up and down the fingerboard - I suspect a lot of seemingly inexplicable chord sequences arise this way :-)) you can take it just about anywhere! Try Esus, Absus, Fsus, Asus, F#♯sus, Gsus, G7, C. You're extending beyond the diatonic notes of C major, but so what? (Don't try to justify this by 'borrowing'. We're not playing that game here.)