C seven sus4 chordC7sus4

Built from

• Croot
• F4th
• G5th
• B♭flat 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 F major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. Gm7ii7
  2. C7sus4V7
  3. Fmaj7Imaj7
  4. Fmaj7Imaj7

• Blues opening

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

  Capo and transpose

  1. C7sus4I7sus4
  2. F7IV7
  3. C7sus4I7sus4
  4. C7sus4I7sus4

Where it goes next

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

• Fmaj7

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

• Dm7

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

Sounds close

• Gm7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have F, G and B♭.

• E♭

  Shares 2 of its notes. Both have G and B♭.

• F

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

• Fm

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

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• C minor pentatonic
• C mixolydian

Keys it lives in

• F majoras V7
• D minoras VII7