F#sus2 Guitar Chord

F#sus2 is the F sharp suspended second chord. It has three notes: F♯, G♯ and C♯. In flats the same chord is called Gbsus2. The standard barre sits high at the 9th fret, so most players will find the four string shape at the 4th fret the more useful everyday grip.

The Asus2 barre shape way up at the 9th fret. The position is high but the grip is identical to every other sus2 barre rooted on the A string.

How to play F#sus2, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the A to high E strings at fret 9
Ring finger: 11th fret, D string
Pinky finger: 11th fret, G string
Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

Both shapes on this page are movable. Whichever one you learn first hands you the other eleven sus2 chords for free.

More ways to play F#sus2

There are 2 common F#sus2 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

F#sus2 guitar chord diagram, easier, small barre, played xx4674 — Easier, small barre

If the shape will not speak

The G♯ on the B string drops out: That is the suspended note, sitting under the weakest part of the barre. Without it you are playing a bare F♯5, so press the index closer to the fret and listen for that middle string.
Cramped fingers at the 11th fret: The frets are narrow up here. Keep ring and pinky curled, tips almost vertical, or they will shove each other off their strings.
The top note sounds muffled: The far end of the barre tends to lift. Check that the index reaches cleanly past the high E string and presses it, not just the middle strings.

What makes it an F#sus2

F♯ · G♯ · C♯ 1 2 5

F#sus2 trades the third of the F♯ chord for G♯, one whole step above the root. That leaves root, second and fifth: no major, no minor, just suspension. Resolution can go two ways, and for this root the minor is the everyday destination: F♯ minor is the relative minor of A and the ii chord of E, two of the most guitar friendly keys there are. F♯ major appears too, as the V chord of B.

Because the chord takes no side, you can hang it in front of either resolution and let the song decide.

F#sus2 vs F#sus4

F#sus2 suspends G♯; F#sus4 suspends B. The sus4 note pulls down strongly onto the third and gives the classic wind up and release, while the sus2 floats above the root without demanding anything. On guitar both use the same movable shapes; the sus4 barre version just adds a finger on the B string. Learn this page's two grips and the sus4 versions come almost for free.

F#sus2 chord questions

Is Gbsus2 the same as F#sus2?

Yes. F♯ and G♭ are one pitch with two names, so the chords are identical. Guitar writing nearly always prefers the sharp spelling.

What is the easiest F#sus2?

The four string shape at the 4th fret. It skips the five string barre and sits in a comfortable part of the neck.

Is F#sus2 major or minor?

Neither. Its third has been replaced by G♯, so the chord can resolve to F♯ major or F♯ minor with equal right.

What is the difference between F#sus2 and F#sus4?

The sus2 holds G♯, a whole step above the root; the sus4 holds B, a fourth above. The sus4 sounds more restless and resolves faster.

Why is F#sus2 rated hard?

There is no open shape for this root. You either barre five strings at the 9th fret or manage a four fret stretch in the compact grip, both of which take some hand strength.