C7sus4
Character: floating tension
- CRtriad
- F4triad
- G5triad
- B♭♭7add
16 ways to play C7sus4
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 3 3 3 1 1Notes F B♭ CIntervals 4 ♭7 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 1 3 0 1 xNotes B♭ F G CIntervals ♭7 4 5 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 3 3 3 1 1Notes C F B♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 3 3 3 3 x xNotes G C F B♭Intervals 5 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x x 5 6 6Notes C F B♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 5 5 6 6Notes G C F B♭Intervals 5 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 8 5 6 xNotes B♭ C FIntervals ♭7 1 4
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 3 5 3 6 xNotes C G B♭ FIntervals 1 5 ♭7 4
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets 6 8 5 5 x xNotes B♭ F G CIntervals ♭7 4 5 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 8 8 8 0 8 8Notes C F B♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 8 8 10 10 11 8Notes F B♭ CIntervals 4 ♭7 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 8 10 8 8Notes B♭ F G CIntervals ♭7 4 5 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 10 10 11 xNotes C F B♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 10 10 10 11 xNotes G C F B♭Intervals 5 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 8 10 8 10 x xNotes C G B♭ FIntervals 1 5 ♭7 4
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x x x 3 1 1Notes B♭ C FIntervals ♭7 1 4
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
The construction rules C7sus4 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
Sus chords replace the 3rd
A 2nd or a 4th takes the 3rd’s place, so the chord is neither major nor minor and wants to resolve. 7sus4 keeps the ♭7 for a dominant without its 3rd.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Dominant 7th suspended 4th in every key
More chords on C
C7sus4 chord questions
What notes are in C7sus4?
C7sus4 is spelled C F G B♭: C is the root, F is the 4th, G is the 5th, B♭ is the ♭7th.
What is the formula of C7sus4?
1 4 5 ♭7. It is a C sus4 triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play C7sus4 on guitar?
This page shows 16 voicings of C7sus4, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.