C♭7sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♭7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord built on the root note C♭. Its notes are C♭, F♭, G♭ and B𝄫. It's enharmonically the same chord as B7sus4.
Dominant seventh sus4 chords hold the tension of a dominant without committing to major or minor. The fourth hangs where the third would be, which is why they open so many gospel, soul and funk vamps.
- Notes
- C♭ · F♭ · G♭ · B𝄫
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7 · 10
- Note
- C♭
- Quality
- Dominant 7 sus4
- Symbol
- C♭7sus4
C♭7sus4 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♭7sus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♭, index finger on F♭, middle finger on G♭ and little finger on B𝄫. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and C♭, F♭ and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B, E and A. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- F♭4
- G♭5
- B𝄫♭7
C♭7sus4 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♭7sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
C♭ · F♭ · G♭ · B𝄫
Play C♭7sus4 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♭7sus4 chord notes
Also known as B7sus4
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♭(Gb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B𝄫(Bbb) |
How to use the C♭7sus4 chord
The C♭7sus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root C♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♭, F♭, G♭ and B𝄫. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant seventh sus4 chords act as a V chord that delays its own resolution, often falling to a plain dominant seventh a beat later. Gospel, soul, funk and seventies rock use them constantly.
How C♭7sus4 differs from similar chords
C♭7sus4 is C♭7 with the third replaced by a perfect fourth, so the tritone that makes a dominant pull is gone. Unlike C♭sus4, it keeps the minor seventh, which still points towards the next chord. That is why it so often resolves to a plain C♭7 before moving on.
Where C♭7sus4 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key C♭7sus4 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♭7sus4 chord?
- The C♭7sus4 chord contains C♭, F♭, G♭ and B𝄫 (Cb, Fb, Gb and Bbb in plain text).
- Is the C♭7sus4 chord major or minor?
- C♭7sus4 is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord. Dominant seventh sus4 chords hold the tension of a dominant without committing to major or minor. The fourth hangs where the third would be, which is why they open so many gospel, soul and funk vamps.
- How do you play C♭7sus4 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♭, F♭, G♭ and B𝄫 and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and C♭, F♭ and B𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B, E and A.
- How do you play C♭7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♭7sus4 chord?
- C♭7sus4 is enharmonically equivalent to B7sus4. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.