F suspended fourth
How to play Fsus4 — Suspended fourth
Fsus4 (Suspended fourth)F · B♭ · C
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
F suspended fourth — notes and structure
The Fsus4 chord replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
The Fsus4 suspended fourth consists of the notes F, B♭, C. Its interval structure is R–4–5 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Fsus4 stacks a perfect fourth (B♭) and a perfect fifth (C) above the root F.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Fsus4 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 6th fret. They use a barre.
What key is Fsus4 in?
Every note of Fsus4 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- F major — the I chord
- B♭ major — the V chord
- E♭ major — the II chord
- A♭ major — the VI chord
Chords that go with Fsus4
In F major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Fsus4 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the F suspended fourth chord?
- The Fsus4 chord contains the notes F, B♭, C. It replaces the third with the fourth for an open, unresolved sound that usually pulls back to the plain major chord.
- How many ways can you play Fsus4 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Fsus4 a hard chord to play?
- Some voicings use a barre, which takes practice, but the chord is very playable once that shape is comfortable.
- What key does Fsus4 belong to?
- Fsus4 fits F major (where it is the I chord), B♭ major (where it is the V chord), E♭ major (where it is the II chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.