F#sus4 Chord on Guitar
F#sus4 = F# – B – C# (Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th)
F#sus4 pushes the third up a half step to the fourth rather than pulling it down like sus2 does, and that single-direction difference gives the two suspended chords opposite personalities: where sus2 floats, sus4 leans forward, actively wanting to fall back to the major third it displaced.
F#-B-C#, doubled at the root: root, perfect fourth, fifth. The fourth sits a half step above the major third, which means F#sus4 carries real directional tension — almost every use of a sus4 chord anticipates its resolution down to the plain major triad, a move so common it's practically a cliché of acoustic guitar strumming patterns. As a color on the I of F# major, or briefly substituting for B major's approach chord in a B-major progression, F#sus4 works because the listener's ear expects and gets the release when the fourth drops back to the third.
Fingerings
Barre (2nd fret)
How to Practice It
Fret F# major first, then practice sliding the D-string finger up one fret to the fourth and immediately releasing it back down — that quick lean-and-release motion, done rhythmically within a strum pattern, is how sus4 chords are actually used in real playing far more often than as a static, sustained chord. Pay attention to timing: the resolution from sus4 to the plain triad usually happens on a strong beat, so practice the release landing exactly on the downbeat rather than drifting.
Common Progressions
- F#sus4 – F# – B (a classic suspend-and-release into the I chord)
- B – F#sus4 – F# – B (I – Vsus4 – V – I, a cadential embellishment)
- F#sus4 – F# – E – A (a strummed intro figure resolving into A major territory)
- F# – F#sus4 – F# – B (I decorated with its own suspension before the V–I motion)
FAQ
- What's the difference between F#sus2 and F#sus4?
- Both remove the third, but sus2 replaces it with the note a whole step below the root's octave equivalent (the major second) while sus4 replaces it with the note a half step above the third (the perfect fourth), giving sus4 a forward-leaning pull that sus2 doesn't have.
- Does F#sus4 need to resolve to F# major?
- Not strictly, but that's overwhelmingly how it's used — the raised fourth creates a half-step tension against the major third it displaced, and resolving down to that third is the expected, satisfying release most listeners' ears anticipate.
- How is F#sus4 fingered relative to plain F# major?
- The D-string finger that holds the third for plain F# major moves up one fret to hold the fourth instead; everything else in the barre stays exactly the same.
- Why do strumming patterns often use sus4 chords on the beat right before a chord change?
- The quick suspend-and-release motion — hitting the fourth for a fraction of a beat before letting it fall to the third — adds a small rhythmic and harmonic accent right at the point of resolution, which is part of why it's such a common embellishment in acoustic strumming.
- Is F#sus4 ever left unresolved on purpose?
- Occasionally, particularly in more modern or ambient guitar textures that deliberately avoid full resolution, but the classic and far more common usage treats the tension as something meant to release almost immediately.
F#sus4 on other instruments: F#sus4 on Piano, F#sus4 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.