7sus4 Guitar Chords
Formula: 1, 4, 5, b7
- 7sus4 guitar chords are chords with a root, a perfect fourth (no third), perfect fifth and a minor seventh.
- The chord can also be written as 7+4 or 7sus
- The chord formula for a 7sus4 chord is 1 - 4 - 5 - ♭7
- Simply put, a 7sus4 chord is a sus4 chord with an added flattened 7th. Remember that a suspended chord is neither a major or minor chord due to the absence of the third scale degree (3rd). This gives suspended chords a very open sound, creating colour and interest to a piece of music.
- The featured song for this session is Close To You by The Carpenters.
- 7sus4 chords consist of the 1st, 4th, 5th and ♭7th notes of a Major Scale
- B chords are built around the B major scale.
- B major scale reads: B - C# - D# - E - F# - G# - A# - B
- Formula for a 7sus4 chord = 1 - 4 - 5 - ♭7
- Substitute notes into the formula (1=B, 4=E, 5=F#, ♭7=A)
- The B7sus4 chord reads: B - E - F# - A
| 7sus4 | A | A#/B♭ | B | C | C#/D♭ | D | D#/E♭ | E | F | F#/G♭ | G | G#/A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root | A | A#/B♭ | B | C | C#/D♭ | D | D#/E♭ | E | F | F#/G♭ | G | G#/A♭ |
| Perfect 4th | D | D#/E♭ | E | F | F#/G♭ | G | G#A♭ | A | B♭ | B/C♭ | C | C#/D♭ |
| Perfect 5th | E | E#/F | F# | G | G#/A♭ | A | A#/B♭ | B | C | C#/D♭ | D | D#/E♭ |
| Minor 7th | G | G#/A♭ | A | B♭ | B/C♭ | C | C#/D♭ | D | E♭ | E/F♭ | F | F#/G♭ |
7sus4 Chords - Right Handers
Chord Chart Legend
7sus4 Chords - Left Handers
Chord Chart Legend
Close To You
Music by Burt Bacharach & Words by Hal David
Please Note:
C/9 is not a C9 chord. It is a C major chord with an added 9th - also written as Cadd9 (The 9th is a D note which is played with the 4th finger on the 3rd fret 2nd string.) Formula: 1-3-5-9
C9 is a C7 chord with an added 9th. Formula: 1-3-5-b7-9
If you are unsure of the song, have a listen. If you want to play along with the video, there is a more comprehensive version of 'Close To You' available which consists of a key change and some testing chords complete with charts for right and left handed guitarists... good luck.
The version above is a simplified version with no key change. If you are playing along with the video, it will sound fine till you get to the key change (from C maj to D♭ maj) in the 'Instrumental' section... any further and it will sound wrong. You can however pause the video and place a capo on the first fret and continue playing the same chords as before. The capo takes care of the key change and it will better suit part-time players and beginners.
Another song you could try is Venus by Shocking Blue. It uses a B7sus4 very affectively... and a lot of fun to play.
I hope you have enjoyed this section on 7sus4 guitar chords. Remember to check the frets below each chord diagram to make sure you are playing the chord in the right position, and don't forget to practice... and then some!
