C 7sus4 (C7sus4)

1+4+5+b7
CFGBb
4 4
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Notes in C 7sus4

C (root)FGBb

Inversions

Same notes as C 7sus4, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

C in the bass

CFGBb

1st inversion

F in the bass

FGCBb

2nd inversion

G in the bass

GCFBb

3rd inversion

Bb in the bass

CFGBb

Open voicings

A close-position chord like C 7sus4 can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

G on the bottom

CFBb

Drop 3

F on the bottom

CGBb

C 7sus4 is built from C, F, G and Bb.

A dominant seventh chord with the third swapped out for a perfect fourth, combining the open sound of a sus4 with the pull of a dominant seventh. Gospel and blues piano lean on it heavily, often as a stepping stone right before the full dominant seventh resolves.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Category: Extended chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.