F♭7sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, B𝄫, C♭ and E𝄫. It's enharmonically the same chord as E7sus4.
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
- F♭ · B𝄫 · C♭ · E𝄫
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7 · 10
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Dominant 7 sus4
- Symbol
- F♭7sus4
F♭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 F♭7sus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on B𝄫, middle finger on C♭ and little finger on E𝄫. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of F♭7sus4 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call E, A, B and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- B𝄫4
- C♭5
- E𝄫♭7
F♭7sus4 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭7sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 5, 4, 2 and 1 ring open.
F♭ · B𝄫 · C♭ · E𝄫
Try F♭7sus4 on the virtual piano
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F♭7sus4 chord notes
Also known as E7sus4
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | B𝄫(Bbb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | E𝄫(Ebb) |
How to use the F♭7sus4 chord
The F♭7sus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, B𝄫, C♭ and E𝄫. 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 F♭7sus4 differs from similar chords
F♭7sus4 is F♭7 with the third replaced by a perfect fourth, so the tritone that makes a dominant pull is gone. Unlike F♭sus4, it keeps the minor seventh, which still points towards the next chord. That is why it so often resolves to a plain F♭7 before moving on.
Where F♭7sus4 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭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 F♭7sus4 chord?
- The F♭7sus4 chord contains F♭, B𝄫, C♭ and E𝄫 (Fb, Bbb, Cb and Ebb in plain text).
- Is the F♭7sus4 chord major or minor?
- F♭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 F♭7sus4 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, B𝄫, C♭ and E𝄫 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 every note of F♭7sus4 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call E, A, B and D.
- How do you play F♭7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 5, 4, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭7sus4 chord?
- F♭7sus4 is enharmonically equivalent to E7sus4. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.