F♯sus2: F♯/G♭ Suspended 2nd Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	F♯, G♯, C♯	1-3-5
Left	F♯, G♯, C♯	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	F♯	Perfect unison	0
2	G♯	Major second	2
5	C♯	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

F♯ Suspended 2nd = Root + Major 2nd + Perfect 5th = F♯, G♯, C♯

Note	Interval	Degree
F♯	Root	1
G♯	Major 2nd	2
C♯	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
F♯	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
G♯	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
C♯	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on F♯, middle finger (3) on G♯, little finger (5) on C♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on F♯, middle finger (3) on G♯, thumb (1) on C♯.

F♯ Suspended 2nd Inversions

Root position
F♯ – G♯ – C♯
1st inversion (F♯sus2/G♯)
G♯ – C♯ – F♯
2nd inversion (F♯sus2/C♯)
C♯ – F♯ – G♯

Key Signature

A Suspended 2nd chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of F♯ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of F♯ Major:

I — F♯ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	F♯ Major	Major
2	ii	G♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	A♯ Minor	Minor
4	IV	B Major	Major
5	V	C♯ Major	Major
6	vi	D♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	E♯ Diminished	Diminished

Scales That Include the F♯ Suspended 2nd

A Major (vi)
E Major (ii)
B Major (V)
F# Major (I)
Db Major (IV)
F# Minor (i)
C# Minor (iv)
G# Minor (VII)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes F♯ – G♯ – C♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

D♭ Suspended 4th→

F♯ Suspended 2nd : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in F♯sus2?

F♯sus2 contains F♯, G♯ and C♯. The formula is 1, 2, 5.

How do you play F♯sus2 on piano?

Play F♯, G♯ and C♯ together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. Every note is a black key.

What are the inversions of F♯sus2?

3 positions: root position F♯ G♯ C♯, F♯sus2/G♯, F♯sus2/C♯.

What is the difference between F♯sus2 and F♯add9?

Adds A♯. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy F♯sus2 for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, F♯3 G♯3, spans 2 semitones or about 28 mm.

What are the frequencies of F♯sus2?

From F♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 185.00, 207.65, 277.18 Hz.

What is the set class of F♯sus2?

Prime form (027), Forte 3-9, interval vector <010020>.

How do I transpose F♯sus2 to another key?

Keep the 1, 2, 5 formula on the new root. Csus2 is C, D, G; C♯sus2 is C♯, D♯, G♯.

Is G♭sus2 the same as F♯sus2?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

F♯ Suspended 2nd in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	F♯3 G♯3 C♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	G♯3 C♯4 F♯4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	C♯4 F♯4 G♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	F♯2 C♯3 G♯3	14	193 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	F♯3 G♯3	2	28 mm	omits C♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	F♯	F♯3, G♯3, C♯4	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: F♯sus2/G♯	G♯	G♯3, C♯4, F♯4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: F♯sus2/C♯	C♯	C♯4, F♯4, G♯4	6/4	7	96 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
F♯add9	adds A♯	1 3 5 9	3
F♯	G♯ becomes A♯	1 3 5	2
F♯m	G♯ becomes A	1 ♭3 5	2
F♯sus4	G♯ becomes B	1 4 5	2
F♯maj7	G♯ becomes A♯, E♯	1 3 5 7	2
F♯7	G♯ becomes A♯, E	1 3 5 ♭7	2
F♯m7	G♯ becomes A, E	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
F♯mMaj7	G♯ becomes A, E♯	1 ♭3 5 7	2
F♯7sus4	G♯ becomes B, E	1 4 5 ♭7	2
F♯6	G♯ becomes A♯, D♯	1 3 5 6	2
F♯m6	G♯ becomes A, D♯	1 ♭3 5 6	2
F♯dim	G♯, C♯ becomes A, C	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
F♯3	54	185.00 Hz
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz
C♯4	61	277.18 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {6, 8, 1}
Normal order: [6, 8, 1]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
F♯ to G♯	Major second	2	2
F♯ to C♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
G♯ to C♯	Perfect fourth	5	5

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a suspended 2nd applied to the root F♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

F♯ Suspended 2nd

Fingerings

F♯ Suspended 2nd: notes and degrees