Fsus4 chord on guitar

Fsus4 is F, B♭ and C. The usual shape is 1-3-3-3-1-1, a barre at the 1st fret. Tap Play, then slow it down.

1-3-3-3-1-1 · barre · hard

Notes: F · B♭ · C
Formula: 1 · 4 · 5
First shape: 1-3-3-3-1-1

How to play Fsus4 on guitar

Shape 1, 1-3-3-3-1-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger lies flat over all the strings, just behind the 1st fret wire.
C: middle finger, 3rd fret of the A string.
F: ring finger, 3rd fret of the D string.
B♭: pinky finger, 3rd fret of the G string.

Near the nut the strings sit highest, so this barre takes the most pressure. Check each string one at a time and move the finger a hair closer to the fret wire for any that buzz.
The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.

Other ways to play Fsus4

x-x-3-3-1-1: movable shape, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.
13-15-15-15-13-13: barre shape at the 13th fret, medium. Root on the 6th string: move it up or down and it names a different suspended fourth chord.
x-8-10-10-11-8: barre shape at the 8th fret, medium. This is the open Asus4 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.

Capo shortcuts for Fsus4

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Esus4 shape (0-2-2-2-0-0) or capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Dsus4 shape (x-x-0-2-3-3). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Fsus4 chord changes

Songs rarely hold Fsus4 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

F (resolves down to the third): Fsus4 (1-3-3-3-1-1) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): your index finger stays put, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger slides across to the A string at the same fret, the pinky finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. Shared notes: F and C. F on guitar
B♭ (IV in F major): Fsus4 (1-3-3-3-1-1) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, the ring finger slides across to the G string at the same fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share F and B♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. B♭ on guitar
C (V in F major): Fsus4 (1-3-3-3-1-1) to C (x-3-2-0-1-0): move the index finger to the B string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the D string, 2nd fret, the ring finger slides across to the A string at the same fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for C, which stays put while the rest moves. C on guitar

Fsus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. Fsus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into F or Fm to resolve. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short Fsus4 drill

Before strumming, play 1-3-3-3-1-1 note by note: F then C then F then B♭ then C then F. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Finish by moving between 1-3-3-3-1-1 and x-x-3-3-1-1 to learn two positions of the same chord.

Fsus4 in context

Fsus4 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: Fsus4 on piano and Fsus4 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Related F chords on guitar

Other suspended fourth chords

Fsus4 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Fsus4 on guitar?

F, B♭ and C. In the 1-3-3-3-1-1 shape the strings play F (low E string), C (A string), F (D string), B♭ (G string), C (B string) and F (high E string), so F and C are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Fsus4 on guitar?

No open-string Fsus4 exists in standard tuning; x-x-3-3-1-1 is the place to start. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is Fsus4 a barre chord on guitar?

Usually, yes. 1-3-3-3-1-1 has your index finger across the 1st fret. If that's hard, try x-x-3-3-1-1.

Which string does Fsus4 start on?

In the 1-3-3-3-1-1 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 1st fret, which is F, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes F, B♭ and C and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.