Fsus4 Piano Chord

Fsus4 is the F suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: F, B flat and C. The middle note is a black key, and the A that would make the chord major is gone.

1F3B♭5CC4C5

F at the bottom, then B♭ and C. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1. The black key is B♭.

How to play Fsus4 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. Middle finger (3): B♭
  4. Little finger (5): C
  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 F on its own as a bass note.

Resolving this means moving the B flat down to A, from a black key to the white one below. That small step is the whole sound of a suspension.

Inversions of Fsus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Fsus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionB♭ C F
Fsus4 piano chord diagram, first inversion, B♭ C F
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 inversionC F B♭
Fsus4 piano chord diagram, second inversion, C F B♭
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

You have played A
That belongs to F major, and it is where this chord resolves rather than where it starts. Fsus4 needs B flat.
The middle finger keeps slipping
It sits on a black key between two white ones. Move the whole hand slightly further into the keyboard.
The top two notes clash
B flat and C are a whole step apart, which is meant to sound unsettled until the B flat resolves.

What makes it an Fsus4

F · B♭ · C 1 4 5

Fsus4 is F, B flat and C: the root, the fourth and the fifth.

It is the V chord of B flat with the third suspended, and the I chord of F in the same form. In gospel, which lives in these keys, the sus4 to major move is a signature.

Fsus4 vs F

F major has A; Fsus4 has B flat, the black key just above it. The suspension resolves downward onto the white key.

That means the resolution moves the hand out of the black key area, which is easy to feel under the fingers.

Questions about Fsus4

What does sus mean in Fsus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In Fsus4 the third, A, is replaced by B flat, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a Fsus4 chord on piano?

F, B flat and C.

What is the difference between Fsus4 and Fsus2?

Which note stands in for the third. Fsus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; Fsus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve Fsus4?

Move B flat down to A, which turns the chord into F 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 F chords