A7sus4 A seventh suspended fourth chord
- Notes
- A D E G
- Formula
- 1 4 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 5 7 10 above the root
- Other symbols
- A7sus
A to D is a perfect fourth (5 semitones), D to E is a major second (2 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones). A dominant seventh with the fourth, D, in place of the third. Like any sus chord it is neither major nor minor. With G in the bass the same four keys read as A7sus4/G.
A7sus4 on the piano
Root position from A4: A4, D5, E5, G5. Middle C is C4.
A7sus4 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has A as its lowest note.
x 0 2 0 3 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds A2 E3 G3 D4 E4
5 7 5 7 5 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds A2 E3 G3 D4 E4 A4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play seventh suspended fourth chords on other roots.
Inversions of A7sus4
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A D E G | A7sus4 | |
| 1st inversion | D E G A | A7sus4/D | |
| 2nd inversion | E G A D | Em11 (also read as A7sus4/E) | |
| 3rd inversion | G A D E | A7sus4/G |
Where A7sus4 fits
A7sus4 is V7sus4 in D major. The usual move is A7sus4 → A7: the fourth, D, falls a half step to the third C# while the seventh G stays. In modal jazz and gospel it is often left unresolved.