7sus4 Chord

Use the formula 1-4-5-flat 7:

The symbol is C7sus4. Because no third is present, the chord itself does not state major or minor quality.

Start with C7: C-E-G-B flat.

Replace the third E with F. The root, fifth and minor seventh remain.

You can also start with Csus4, C-F-G, and add B flat.

In traditional suspension, a note is held from an earlier harmony, becomes dissonant and resolves by step.

The fourth F often falls to E, creating C7. C7 may then resolve to F major.

Modern chord symbols use sus4 for the pitch structure even when no prepared suspension or resolution occurs.

C7 contains the tritone E-B flat.

C7sus4 removes E, so that particular tritone disappears. F-B flat is a perfect fourth.

The chord can still function as V through root motion, bass and progression. Its dominant quality is less explicit until F resolves to E or another voice supplies the third.

C7sus4 is C-F-G-B flat. C7 is C-E-G-B flat.

Only F and E differ. The first chord has no third; the second has a major third and the guide-tone tritone E-B flat.

Play C7sus4-C7-F to hear two stages: suspension resolution F-E, then dominant resolution E-F and B-flat-A.

Csus4 is C-F-G. C7sus4 adds B flat.

The minor seventh can connect to other dominant, modal or blues-related harmony.

If the seventh is absent, do not write 7 in the symbol.

Gm7/C contains C in the bass plus G-B flat-D-F.

That adds D, the ninth of C, so the full collection is commonly called C9sus4, not the four-note C7sus4.

A voicing may omit G or another note, but D remains the distinction between 7sus4 and 9sus4.

A V7sus4 can delay the third of a dominant chord before a cadence.

Gospel, soul and pop use sus dominants for repeated motion between fourth and third. Jazz and funk use 9sus4 structures as stable modal or groove chords.

The style and following chord determine whether listeners hear preparation, dominant motion or a sustained sonority.

Any chord tone can appear in the bass, although root-position bass is common when the chord has dominant function.

Keep F and B flat because they distinguish the suspension and seventh. G can be omitted in a dense voicing.

Spread C low and F-G-B flat higher to keep the close F-G whole step clear.

C Mixolydian contains C-D-E-F-G-A-B flat. Over C7sus4, avoid emphasizing E when you want the third to remain suspended.

C Dorian also contains C-D-E flat-F-G-A-B flat. Because the chord has no third, the melody can help choose between a major-third and minor-third context.

Use the complete progression and melody to select the collection.

Build Csus4, C7sus4, C7 and F.

Hold C, G and B flat while moving F to E. Then resolve E to F and B flat to A.

Add D and identify the result as C9sus4. Remove D again and hear the four-note structure.