Also written F♯sus4, F♯sus or F♯ Suspended
F♯ suspended 4th contains F♯, B, and C♯. The 2nd-fret shape is a stretch, but the inversion at the 9th fret uses a barre for a warmer voicing.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
F♯ suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5 — the root F♯, the perfect fourth B, and the perfect fifth C♯. The fourth replaces the third, which removes the major or minor quality and leaves an open, unresolved sound. Compare it with F♯ major, where the third is A♯.
F♯ suspended 4th works as a suspended colour in F♯ major progressions like F♯–B–C♯–F♯, the I–IV–V–I, where it delays the resolution of F♯ major. It also fits rock, pop, and gospel when a chord needs to hover before landing.
The 2nd-fret shape puts F♯ in the bass for a rooted, stable sound. The F♯sus4/C♯ inversion places C♯ in the bass, which softens the chord and works well when the bass line is descending toward B.
F♯ suspended 4th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 4 4: index finger on the E string at fret 2, middle finger on the A string at fret 4, ring finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 4.
Tip — The three-fret stretch from the index on the 4th string to the pinky on the 1st string demands a wide hand span.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 4 | 2 | C♯ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 4 | 3 | F♯ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 4 | 4 | B (4) |
F♯ suspended 4th is played at the 9th fret as 9 9 9 11: barre your index finger across fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 11.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (4) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 4 | F♯ (1) |
F♯ suspended 4th is written as F♯sus or F♯sus4. The ASCII spelling is F#, so you may see F#sus or F#sus4. It is also spelled G♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
F♯ suspended 4th replaces the third with the fourth, B. F♯ suspended 2nd replaces the third with the second, G♯, creating an even more open sound.
Yes, F♯ suspended 4th can resolve to F♯ minor by moving the fourth down a half step to the minor third, A. This resolution is common in classical and folk music.