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 1st fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 3rd fret of the D string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 3rd 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 1 | index | F2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 1 | index | B♭2 | fourth |
| 4th (D) | fret 3 | middle | F3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | fret 3 | ring | B♭3 | fourth |
| 2nd (B) | fret 1 | index | C4 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 1 | index | F4 | 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 Fsus4
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.
- xx3566A shape at the 3rd fret · four fingers
- x-8-8-10-11-8A barre at the 8th fret and two more fingers
- x8856xA shape at the 5th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
xx3311 is Fsus4 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 1st fret and play the Esus4 shape. Every string is raised 1 semitone, so that open shape now sounds Fsus4.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 1st 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 Fsus4
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, Fm, F7, Fmaj7, Fm7, Fsus2, Fdim, Faug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Fsus4 chord?
F suspended fourth is three notes: F – B♭ – C — the root, 4 and 5 of the F major scale. On guitar the shape 113311 sounds F2, B♭2, F3, B♭3, C4 and F4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Fsus4 on guitar?
The usual shape is 113311 — a barre chord at the 1st fret, with a barre at the 1st fret and two more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, xx3311 is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 1st fret and play the Esus4 shape, which then sounds Fsus4.
What is the difference between Fsus4 and F?
Fsus4 replaces the third of F with the fourth (B♭). The fourth leans back down to the third, so Fsus4 is nearly always followed by F.