C#sus4 Piano Chord

C sharp sus4 is the C sharp suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: C sharp, F sharp and G sharp. All three are black keys.

1C♯3F♯5G♯C4C5

C♯ at the bottom, then F♯ and G♯. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1. The black keys are C♯ and F♯ and G♯.

How to play C#sus4 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the C♯ above middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): C♯
  3. Middle finger (3): F♯
  4. Little finger (5): G♯
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just C♯ on its own as a bass note.

All three notes are black, which makes this shape comfortable. Resolving it means moving the F sharp down to F, the white key immediately below.

Inversions of C#sus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are C#sus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionF♯ G♯ C♯
C#sus4 piano chord diagram, first inversion, F♯ G♯ C♯
Lighter than root position and less final. A fourth in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionG♯ C♯ F♯
C#sus4 piano chord diagram, second inversion, G♯ C♯ F♯
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

A finger drops to a white key
Every note here is black. Play deep into the keyboard.
You have played F
That is the third of C sharp major and is where this chord resolves. C sharp sus4 needs F sharp.
The hand feels stretched
The span is a fifth. If it feels wide, the hand is too far forward and the fingers are reaching back for the black keys.

What makes it a C#sus4

C♯ · F♯ · G♯ 1 4 5

C sharp sus4 is C sharp, F sharp and G sharp: the root, the fourth and the fifth.

It is the V chord of F sharp with the third suspended. In guitar based music in B and F sharp it is a common way to delay the arrival of the home chord.

C#sus4 vs C#

C sharp major has F, a white key; C sharp sus4 has F sharp, the black key just above it. The suspended chord is all black and the major is the mixed one.

Resolving means moving one finger down and forward, out of the black keys.

Questions about C#sus4

What does sus mean in C#sus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In C#sus4 the third, F, is replaced by F sharp, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a C#sus4 chord on piano?

C sharp, F sharp and G sharp.

What is the difference between C#sus4 and C sharpsus2?

Which note stands in for the third. C#sus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; C sharpsus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve C#sus4?

Move F sharp down to F, which turns the chord into C sharp major. That single step is the whole point of a sus4, and it is one of the most used moves in gospel, rock and pop.

Chords to learn next

Other C# chords