G#sus4 Chord on Guitar
G#sus4 = G# – C# – D# (Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th)
G#sus4 raises the third a half step to the fourth, giving the chord a forward-leaning character opposite to sus2's open ambiguity — it actively wants to fall back to the major third it displaced, the same relationship F#sus4 and Gsus4 have one and two frets down.
G#-C#-D#, doubled at the root: root, perfect fourth, fifth. The fourth sits a half step above the major third, creating genuine directional tension — nearly every real use of a sus4 chord anticipates the moment it resolves down to the plain major triad, a gesture so ingrained in strummed guitar music it barely registers as separate from the chord it resolves to. As a color on the I of G# major, or an embellished approach to a cadence, it works because of the expected release when the fourth drops to the third.
Fingerings
Barre (4th fret)
How to Practice It
Fret plain G# major, then practice sliding the finger on the third up one fret to the fourth and immediately releasing it back — that quick lean-and-release, worked into a strum pattern rhythmically, is how sus4 chords earn their place far more often than as a static sustained chord. Time the release to land on a strong beat so the resolution feels like a small rhythmic payoff rather than a drift.
Common Progressions
- G#sus4 – G# – C# (a classic suspend-and-release into the IV chord)
- D# – G#sus4 – G# – D# (V – Isus4 – I – V, a cadential embellishment)
- G#sus4 – G# – Fm – C# (a strummed intro figure moving into vi and IV)
- G# – G#sus4 – G# – D# (I decorated with its own suspension before the I–V motion)
FAQ
- What's the difference between G#sus2 and G#sus4?
- Both remove the third, but sus2 replaces it with the note a whole step below the root's octave equivalent while sus4 replaces it with the note a half step above the third, giving sus4 a forward pull that sus2 lacks.
- Does G#sus4 have to resolve to G# major?
- Not strictly, but that's how it's used the vast majority of the time — the raised fourth creates a half-step tension against the displaced third, and resolving down to that third is the expected release.
- How is G#sus4 fingered relative to plain G# major?
- The finger holding the third for plain G# major moves up one fret to hold the fourth instead, with everything else in the barre staying exactly the same.
- Why is this chord common right before a change in strummed acoustic music?
- The quick suspend-and-release motion adds a small rhythmic and harmonic accent right at the point of resolution, a frequent embellishment in strumming patterns generally.
- Is G#sus4 ever labeled Absus4?
- Yes, in flat-key charts, though the sound and fingering remain identical to G#sus4 regardless of the label.
G#sus4 on other instruments: G#sus4 on Piano, G#sus4 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.