Train Your Ear & Fingers: The C#sus4 Guitar Chord Guide

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Replace the third of a major chord with a fourth and you get C#sus4, the C# suspended fourth chord: C#, F# and G#. The F# sits a half step above the E# that would make the chord major, which is why the chord asks to be resolved.

Three shapes appear here, every one of them a barre, between frets 4 and 11. Open the interactive fretboard at the top to hear the chord strummed and picked as an arpeggio, then follow it with the major chord it wants to resolve to. Over the chord you can improvise with the C# Mixolydian scale, which includes all three notes.

C# suspended 4th guitar chord is also written as C#sus4, C#sus or C#4.

Notes that compose the C# sus4 chord:

C# F# G#

Tones in the Suspended Fourth chord:

Formula: 1 4 5

C# Sus4 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 6 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the B string

Position 2 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D and G strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the B string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the high E string

Position 3 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the low E, A, B and high E strings at the same time
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 11 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the G string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes make up C#sus4?

C#sus4 is spelled C#, F# and G#. That gives a root, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. No third is present.

How many voicings does C#sus4 have?

C#sus4 has 3 voicings, from fret 4 up to fret 11. All three are barre voicings, and none uses open strings.

Is C#sus4 the same chord as Dbsus4?

They use the same pitches, so they sound identical. Dbsus4 is spelled Db, Gb and Ab. Which name appears depends on the key.

What scale works over C# suspended fourth?

The C# Mixolydian Scale (C#, D#, E#, F#, G#, A#, B) contains C#, F# and G#. The chord uses its 1st, 4th and 5th degrees.