C♯ 7sus4 (C♯7sus4) chord on banjo

Looking for the C♯7sus4 chord on banjo? It is a 7sus4 chord (a sus4 chord plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: C♯ – F♯ – G♯ – B. The same chord with a different spelling: D♭ 7sus4 (D♭7sus4).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4easy

Position 6medium

Position 9easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the C♯7sus4 chord sounds like

A 7sus4 is a suspended dominant seventh: a fourth replaces the third. It is less tense than a plain 7 chord and popular in funk, jazz and modern pop.

Notes of the C♯7sus4 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	C♯	root
4	F♯	perfect fourth (5 semitones)
5	G♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	B	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 4, little finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, index finger (C♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, ring finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯3)

Position 4

String 1 (D): fret 6, little finger (G♯4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 6, ring finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)

Position 6, barre at fret 6

String 1 (D): fret 9, little finger (B4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, middle finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, index finger (C♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, index finger (G♯3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 6; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C♯7sus4 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C♯ minor: I7sus4 (tonic)
F♯ major: V7sus4 (dominant)
F♯ minor: V7sus4 (dominant)
G♯ minor: IV7sus4 (subdominant)
A major: III7sus4
E major: VI7sus4
B major: II7sus4
D♯ minor: VII7sus4

Similar chords and substitutes

If C♯7sus4 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

G7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Fdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
C♯7 – a simpler dominant
F♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

C♯sus4 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

C♯11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯7sus4 chord?

C♯, F♯, G♯, B. The root is C♯; the intervals of the other notes from the root: perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play C♯7sus4 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Position 4”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some C♯7sus4 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (G♯) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the C♯7sus4 chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯7sus4 (also written C#7sus4), and its full name is C♯ 7sus4.