C Suspended 4th (Csus4)

1+4+5
CFG
4 4
Download MIDI

Notes in C Suspended 4th

C (root)FG

Inversions

Same notes as C Suspended 4th, 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

CFG

1st inversion

F in the bass

FGC

2nd inversion

G in the bass

GCF

C Suspended 4th is built from C, F and G.

The other suspension raises the missing third up to a perfect fourth, which sits a half step above where the third would normally be. That closeness creates real tension, and it's why a sus4 chord so often falls straight back down into the plain major or minor triad on the same root a beat later.

Difficulty: Beginner. Category: Triads. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.