Root position C♯sus4
C♯ – F♯ – G♯
Right hand 1-4-5Left hand 5-2-1
C♯sus4 Chord on Piano
C♯sus4 C♯ F♯ G♯ Formula 1 4 5 3 notes
Also written D♭ sus4: the same keys under another name.
Notes
What notes are in the C♯sus4 chord?
The C♯sus4 chord has 3 notes: C♯, F♯, G♯. No third: the fourth (5 half steps above C♯) replaces it and usually resolves down to the third.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| C♯ | Root | 0 |
| F♯ | Perfect 4th | 5 |
| G♯ | Perfect 5th | 7 |
Inversions and fingering
Every way to play C♯sus4
The same notes in a different order. The lowest note changes the name after the slash; the fingering below is the usual one - right hand from the lowest key up, left hand from the lowest key up too.
1st inversion C♯sus4/F♯
F♯ – G♯ – C♯
Right hand 1-2-5Left hand 5-3-1
The piano studio names these keys F♯sus2: the same notes, read from another root.
2nd inversion C♯sus4/G♯
G♯ – C♯ – F♯
Right hand 1-3-5Left hand 5-4-1
Where it lives
Keys and scales with C♯sus4
Every key where C♯sus4 is one of the seven chords, with its Roman numeral, and the scales whose notes include all of it - the ones to improvise over it.
C♯sus4 is not a diatonic chord of any major or natural minor key.
Scales that contain all its notes
Questions
Frequently asked
What notes are in the C♯sus4 chord?
The C♯sus4 chord (C♯sus4) is made of C♯, F♯, G♯. Its formula is 1 4 5 - the root, then the intervals of a suspended 4th chord.
How do you play C♯sus4 on the piano?
Put your right thumb on C♯ and play the other notes with fingers 1-4-5. With the left hand, use fingers 5-2-1 from the lowest key up.
What are the inversions of C♯sus4?
root position C♯sus4 (C♯ F♯ G♯); 1st inversion C♯sus4/F♯ (F♯ G♯ C♯); 2nd inversion C♯sus4/G♯ (G♯ C♯ F♯).
Is C♯sus4 the same as D♭ sus4?
On the piano, yes: the same keys. The name changes with the key you are in - sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys.
Play it for real
Hold C♯sus4 and build a progression on it
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