Fsus2 Piano Chord

Fsus2 is the F suspended second chord. It has three notes: F, G and C. All three are white keys. The A that would make it F major has been replaced by G.

1F2G5CC4C5

F at the bottom, then G and C. Right hand 1-2-5, left hand 5-3-1. Every key here is white.

How to play Fsus2 on piano, step by step

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

F, G and C are three white keys in the simplest possible arrangement. If F major is still awkward, this is a gentler chord to reach for in the same place.

Inversions of Fsus2

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Fsus2; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionG C F
Fsus2 piano chord diagram, first inversion, G C F
Lighter than root position and less final. A second 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 inversionC F G
Fsus2 piano chord diagram, second inversion, C F G
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

The chord sounds like F major
The middle note is G, not A. Check the middle finger has come down one white key.
The bottom notes clash
F and G are adjacent. That gentle rub is the sound of a sus2; playing the chord higher makes it clearer.
The chord feels cramped
The thumb and the next finger are one key apart. Using the index finger there is often easier than the middle one.

What makes it an Fsus2

F · G · C 1 2 5

Fsus2 is F, G and C: the root, the second and the fifth, with no third at all.

It belongs naturally to the keys of F, C and B flat. In the key of C it is a soft version of the IV chord, which is one of the most common places to hear a sus2.

Fsus2 vs F

One note. F major has A, Fsus2 has G. The chord loses its major identity and gains an open sound.

Both are all white key chords on piano, so the change costs nothing under the hand.

Questions about Fsus2

What does sus mean in Fsus2?

Suspended. The third of the chord is taken out and replaced by another note, so the chord is neither major nor minor. In Fsus2 the third is replaced by G, the second.

Which notes are in a Fsus2 chord on piano?

F, G and C.

What is the difference between Fsus2 and Fsus4?

Which note replaces the third. Fsus2 uses the second, one step above the root; Fsus4 uses the fourth, one step below the fifth. Sus2 sounds open and airy, sus4 sounds tense and wants to resolve.

Is Fsus2 major or minor?

Neither. The third is the note that decides, and a suspended chord does not have one. That is why it can sit in front of either F major or F minor.

Chords to learn next

Other F chords