As a suspended dominantC major
A suspended dominant: the fourth hangs over the chord, then drops into the third.
G7sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord built on the root note G. Its notes are G, C, D and F.
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Quality
Short answer
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
- G · C · D · F
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7 · 10
- Note
- G
- Quality
- Dominant 7 sus4
- Symbol
- G7sus4
G7sus4 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play G7sus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G, index finger on C, middle finger on D and little finger on F. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of G7sus4 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G1
- C4
- D5
- F♭7
G7sus4 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G7sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strings 4 and 3 ring open.
G · C · D · F
Play G7sus4 on the online piano
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G7sus4 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | C | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | F |
How to use the G7sus4 chord
The G7sus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root G and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G, C, D and F. 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 G7sus4 differs from similar chords
G7sus4 is G7 with the third replaced by a perfect fourth, so the tritone that makes a dominant pull is gone. Unlike Gsus4, it keeps the minor seventh, which still points towards the next chord. That is why it so often resolves to a plain G7 before moving on.
Where G7sus4 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the G7sus4 chord?
- The G7sus4 chord contains G, C, D and F.
- Is the G7sus4 chord major or minor?
- G7sus4 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 G7sus4 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G, C, D and F 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 G7sus4 is a white key.
- How do you play G7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strings 4 and 3 ring open.
- What chords work well with G7sus4?
- G7sus4 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.