D7sus4 D seventh suspended fourth chord
- Notes
- D G A C
- Formula
- 1 4 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 5 7 10 above the root
- Other symbols
- D7sus
D to G is a perfect fourth (5 semitones), G to A is a major second (2 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones). A dominant seventh with the fourth, G, in place of the third. Like any sus chord it is neither major nor minor. With C in the bass the same four keys read as D7sus4/C.
D7sus4 on the piano
Root position from D4: D4, G4, A4, C5. Middle C is C4.
D7sus4 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 D as its lowest note.
x x 0 2 1 3 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 C4 G4
x 5 7 5 8 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 C4 G4 A4
10 12 10 12 10 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 C4 G4 A4 D5
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 D7sus4
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 | D G A C | D7sus4 | |
| 1st inversion | G A C D | D7sus4/G | |
| 2nd inversion | A C D G | Am11 (also read as D7sus4/A) | |
| 3rd inversion | C D G A | D7sus4/C |
Where D7sus4 fits
D7sus4 is V7sus4 in G major. The usual move is D7sus4 → D7: the fourth, G, falls a half step to the third F# while the seventh C stays. In modal jazz and gospel it is often left unresolved.