Root position
G# – C# – D#The root G# is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
3 notes · 1 · 4 · 5
G# Suspended Fourth Piano Chord (G#sus4)
G#sus4 is built from G#, C# and D# — the formula 1 · 4 · 5, or 5 and 7 semitones above G#. The shape uses 0 white and 3 black keys, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
G# Suspended fourth
Notes
G# · C# · D#Formula
1 · 4 · 5Right hand
1 · 4 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds G#sus4. Press P or the Play chord button to hear G#, C#, D# sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in G#sus4
A suspended fourth chord replaces the third with the fourth degree. The fourth sits one semitone above the major third and leans onto it, so a sus4 is usually heard as a delay that resolves into the plain triad underneath it.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G#black key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| C#black key | Perfect fourth | 4 | 5 | 4 · ring finger |
| D#black key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play G#sus4 on piano
- Find G#: it is the middle black key in a group of three.
- Build upwards from G# using 5 and 7 semitones to reach C# and D#.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on G#, finger 4 on C# and finger 5 on D#. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black keys sit comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how G#sus4 settles.
- Try first inversion as well: C# – D# – G#. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
G#sus4 in 3 positions
An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
C# – D# – G#C# is the lowest note, so the perfect fourth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
D# – G# – C#D# is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain G#sus4
In D♭ major the chord functions as Vsus4. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 10 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- D♭ majorVsus4
- E majoriiisus4
- F♯ majoriisus4
- A♭ majorIsus4
- B majorvisus4
- C♯ minorvsus4
- E♭ minorivsus4
- F minorIIIsus4
- G♯ minorisus4
- B♭ minorVIIsus4
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
G#sus4 against G# major
G#sus4 and G# major share G# and D#. Moving the major third B# up 1 semitone to the perfect fourth C# turns G# major into G#sus4.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes G#, D# still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open G# major →Good questions
G#sus4 questions
What notes are in the G#sus4 chord?
G#sus4 contains G#, C# and D#. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 4 · 5, or 5 and 7 semitones above G#.
What is the right-hand fingering for G#sus4?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on G#, 4 (ring finger) on C# and 5 (little finger) on D#. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is G#sus4 different from G# major?
G#sus4 and G# major share G# and D#. Moving the major third B# up 1 semitone to the perfect fourth C# turns G# major into G#sus4.
Which keys use the G#sus4 chord?
It occurs naturally in D♭ major (Vsus4), E major (iiisus4), F♯ major (iisus4), A♭ major (Isus4), B major (visus4) and C♯ minor (vsus4) among others. The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of G#sus4?
root position is G# – C# – D#, first inversion is C# – D# – G# and second inversion is D# – G# – C#. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.
Is G#sus4 the same as the A♭ chord?
On an equal-tempered piano G# and A♭ are the same key, so the chords sound identical. Written music chooses between them according to the key signature: pages here are named after the sharp spelling of the root, and the chord tones are then spelled by the degree each one occupies, which is why a double sharp occasionally appears.