F♯ 7sus4 (F♯7sus4) chord on mandolin

The F♯ 7sus4 chord (F♯7sus4) is a 7sus4 chord (a sus4 chord plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: F♯ – B – C♯ – E. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ 7sus4 (G♭7sus4).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Open positioneasy

Position 9medium

Position 7medium

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What the F♯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 F♯7sus4 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): fret 4, ring finger (C♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 4, middle finger (F♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)

Open position

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): fret 2, index finger (B4)
String 3 (D): fret 4, little finger (F♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, ring finger (B3)

Position 9

String 1 (E): fret 9, little finger (C♯6)
String 2 (A): fret 9, ring finger (F♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 9, middle finger (B4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, index finger (E4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

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

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

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

C7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
B♭dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
F♯7 – a simpler dominant
B – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

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

Richer versions

F♯11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯7sus4 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play F♯7sus4 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, 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 F♯7sus4 shapes?

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

How is the F♯7sus4 chord written?

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