Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger flat across all 6 strings at the 2nd fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the D string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 4th fret of the G string (3rd).
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) | fret 2 | index | F♯2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 2 | index | B2 | fourth |
| 4th (D) | fret 4 | middle | F♯3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 4 | ring | B3 | fourth |
| 2nd (B) | fret 2 | index | C♯4 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 2 | index | 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♯sus4
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.
- xx4677A shape at the 4th fret · four fingers
- x-9-9-11-12-9A barre at the 9th fret and two more fingers
- x9967xA shape at the 6th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx4422 is F♯sus4 without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 2nd fret and play the Esus4 shape. Every string is raised 2 semitones, so that open shape now sounds F♯sus4.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 2nd fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
The notes in F♯sus4
A suspended fourth chord is built from the root (1), 4 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From F♯ that gives F♯ – B – C♯. The third is pushed up to the fourth. It leans back down to the plain major chord, and is usually played just before it.
The same root, other chords: F♯ major, F♯m, F♯7, F♯maj7, F♯m7, F♯sus2, F♯dim, F♯aug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a F♯sus4 chord?
F♯ suspended fourth is three notes: F♯ – B – C♯ — the root, 4 and 5 of the F♯ major scale. On guitar the shape 224422 sounds F♯2, B2, F♯3, B3, C♯4 and F♯4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play F♯sus4 on guitar?
The usual shape is 224422 — a barre chord at the 2nd fret, with a barre at the 2nd fret and two more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx4422 is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the Esus4 shape, which then sounds F♯sus4.
Is F♯sus4 the same chord as G♭sus4?
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♯sus4, a piece in a flat key writes G♭sus4.
What is the difference between F♯sus4 and F♯?
F♯sus4 replaces the third of F♯ with the fourth (B). The fourth leans back down to the third, so F♯sus4 is nearly always followed by F♯.