Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string, x is a string you do not play.
- Index finger on the 1st fret of the G string (3rd).
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the B string (2nd).
- Ring finger on the 2nd fret of the high E string (1st).
- Little finger on the 4th fret of the D string (4th).
- Do not play the low E and A strings: start the strum from the D string.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | not played | — | — | — |
| 5th (A) | not played | — | — | — |
| 4th (D) | fret 4 | little | F♯3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 1 | index | G♯3 | second |
| 2nd (B) | fret 2 | middle | C♯4 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 2 | ring | F♯4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play F♯sus2
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- xx4674A barre at the 4th fret and two more fingers
- x-9-11-11-9-9A barre at the 9th fret and two more fingers
- x96679A barre at the 6th fret and three more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx412x is F♯sus2 without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Holding it cleanly
It spans 4 frets. Bring the elbow in and let the hand turn slightly toward the body of the guitar; the stretch comes from the hand opening, not from the fingers reaching.
The 2 lowest strings are left out, because their open notes are not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below them, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in F♯sus2
A suspended second chord is built from the root (1), 2 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From F♯ that gives F♯ – G♯ – C♯. The third is replaced by the second, so it is neither major nor minor — open and unresolved.
The same root, other chords: F♯ major, F♯m, F♯7, F♯maj7, F♯m7, F♯sus4, F♯dim, F♯aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a F♯sus2 chord?
F♯ suspended second is three notes: F♯ – G♯ – C♯ — the root, 2 and 5 of the F♯ major scale. On guitar the shape xx4122 sounds F♯3, G♯3, C♯4 and F♯4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play F♯sus2 on guitar?
The usual shape is xx4122 — a shape at the 1st fret, with four fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx412x is the same chord without the full barre.
Is F♯sus2 the same chord as G♭sus2?
Yes — on guitar they are the same frets and the same sound. F♯ and G♭ are two names for one pitch, and which name a songbook prints depends on the key: a piece in a sharp key writes F♯sus2, a piece in a flat key writes G♭sus2.
What is the difference between F♯sus2 and F♯?
F♯sus2 replaces the third of F♯ with the second (G♯), so it is neither major nor minor. It is usually played for a beat or two before or after the plain F♯ chord.