D seven sus4 chordD7sus4

Built from

• Droot
• G4th
• A5th
• Cflat 7th

A dominant 7 with its 3rd suspended to the 4th: double the waiting.

Hear it in a progression

• ii–V–I

  The backbone of jazz. In G major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. Am7ii7
  2. D7sus4V7
  3. Gmaj7Imaj7
  4. Gmaj7Imaj7

• Blues opening

  The first four bars of a twelve-bar blues. In D major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. D7sus4I7sus4
  2. G7IV7
  3. D7sus4I7sus4
  4. D7sus4I7sus4

Where it goes next

Thinking in G major, where it is the V7 chord.

• Gmaj7

  Imaj7. The strongest pull in music: tension resolving home.

• Em7

  vi7. The fake-out: you expect home, you get the relative minor.

Sounds close

• Am7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have G, A and C.

• C

  Shares 2 of its notes. Both have G and C.

• Cm

  Shares 2 of its notes. Both have G and C.

• F

  Shares 2 of its notes. Both have A and C.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• D minor pentatonic
• D mixolydian

Keys it lives in

• G majoras V7
• E minoras VII7