F7sus4 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - m - i - m · Alternating Folk (4/4 · 4 notes · Level 1)
The 1st string repeats the F of the 6th. This pattern leaves it out. All 6 arpeggios
Alternating picking with steady pulse.
Play F7sus4 one string at a time and you hear F, Bb, C and Eb. F is the root, Bb the fourth, C the fifth and Eb the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are F, B flat, C and E flat.
String by string, low to high, it plays F, C, Eb, Bb, C and F. F rings twice across the six strings, and it is the root. The lowest and highest notes are both F, two octaves apart, on strings 6 and 1.
You play F7sus4 with a barre at fret 1. Your hand covers three frets, from 1 to 3. There is one more position, starting at fret 8.
Change only string 3 in F7sus4 and you have F7. F7sus4 and Bb have F and Bb in common. F shares four positions with this shape.
F7sus4 belongs to eight keys. In Bb major it is the V7sus4, in Ab major the VI7sus4 and in Eb major the II7sus4. The rest appear in the key list.
F 1Bb 4C 5Eb ♭7
Root Bass (Fundamental String)6th String (Low E) • Fret 1 (F)
String Control (Muted & Active)6 / 6 • Active and muted strings status indicator
Placement tip: Barre fret 1. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 3 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 3 with your Pinky finger.
Placement tip: Barre fret 8. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 11 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 1 to 3 |
| Barre | fret 1, from the 6th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 3 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | none |
At fret 1, only the barre sounds the 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 1st strings.
Listen: F7sus4 → F · C7 · C
F7sus4 sits in the scale of 8 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the F7sus4 chord on guitar, all 6 strings are played from the 6th string (Low E) to the 1st string (High E). Arch your finger joints perpendicular to the fretboard so adjacent strings ring clearly.
The primary bass note of the F7sus4 chord is its root note: F. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 6 at fret 1.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The F7sus4 chord is constructed using the 1 - 4 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Suspended Fourth Seventh). Its constituent pitches are F, Bb, C, Eb.
To prevent fret buzz on the F7sus4 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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