F#7sus4 Chord on Guitar
F#7sus4 = F# – B – C# – E (Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
F#7sus4 combines the suspended fourth's forward lean with the dominant seventh's harmonic pull, and the resulting shape is one of the sparest in the whole family — only two fret positions are used across all six strings, similar in economy to F#11 but built from a different, simpler intent.
F#-B-C#-E: root, perfect fourth, fifth, and minor seventh, with the root doubled at both ends of the barre and no third present at all. Without a third, the chord doesn't commit to major or minor the way a plain F#7 does, but it keeps the dominant seventh's forward pull toward B major, which is why 7sus4 chords are such a common cadential device in gospel and rock: they suspend the resolution one beat longer, heightening the eventual release into either F#7 itself or straight into the tonic.
Fingerings
Barre (2nd fret)
How to Practice It
Because this shape uses only two fret positions, it's one of the easier extended barres to fret cleanly — practice the barre first, then add the single additional finger for the fourth without disturbing it. The chord's real function shows up in motion, not stillness: practice the classic move from F#7sus4 into F#7 by lowering just that one finger a half step, which is the exact suspend-and-release gesture that makes this chord musically useful.
Common Progressions
- F#7sus4 – F#7 – B (V7sus4 – V7 – I, the classic gospel/rock cadential move)
- B – F#7sus4 – F#7 – B (I – V7sus4 – V7 – I)
- F#7sus4 – B (a direct suspended resolution straight to the tonic, skipping the plain dominant)
- E – F#7sus4 – F#7 – B (IV – V7sus4 – V7 – I, a fuller cadential run)
FAQ
- What's missing from F#7sus4 compared to F#7?
- The third is gone, replaced by the perfect fourth, so the chord keeps the dominant seventh's forward pull toward B major but loses the note that would otherwise mark it clearly as major.
- How does F#7sus4 typically resolve?
- Most often down to F#7 first, by lowering the fourth a half step to the third, and then on to B major — a two-stage resolution that's a staple of gospel and rock cadences.
- Is F#7sus4 easy to fret?
- Yes — it only uses two distinct fret positions across the whole shape, making it one of the more approachable extended barres in this family, similar in economy to the way F#11 simplifies its own extended tones.
- Why do gospel and rock progressions favor 7sus4 chords at cadences?
- Suspending the third for a beat before resolving heightens the eventual release, giving even a simple V–I cadence extra weight and a moment of anticipation that a plain dominant seventh moving straight to the tonic doesn't provide.
- Can F#7sus4 resolve directly to B major without passing through F#7 first?
- Yes — some cadences skip the intermediate dominant-seventh step entirely and move straight from the suspended chord to the tonic, which is a slightly less common but still frequently heard variation on the classic move.
Related: how chords are built, chord finder.