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G 7sus4

Notes: G - C - D - F | Degrees: 1 - 4 - 5 - ♭7 | Written: G7sus4, G7sus

Construction: Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th

Fingering: RH 1-2-3-5, LH 5-3-2-1

Inversions: Root G7sus4 - 1st G7sus4/C - 2nd G7sus4/D - 3rd G7sus4/F

Related boards
First inversion7 st, 96.0 mmFigured bass: 6/5

C4, D4, F4, G4

Fingerings

First inversion: either hand, fingers low note to high
HandNotesFingers
RightC, D, F, G1-2-4-5
LeftC, D, F, G5-3-2-1

Close-position standard fingering: either hand takes the whole shape. Thumb is 1, little finger is 5.

G 7sus4: notes and degrees

G7sus4 contains G, C, D and F. A suspended fourth with the minor seventh added on top.

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
DegreeNoteInterval from rootSemitones
1GPerfect unison0
4CPerfect fourth5
5DPerfect fifth7
♭7FMinor seventh10

Every note is a white key.

Construction

G 7sus4 = Root + Perfect 4th + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th = G, C, D, F
NoteIntervalDegree
GRoot1
CPerfect 4th11
DPerfect 5th5
FMinor 7th♭7

Fingering

NoteKey colorRight handLeft hand
Gwhitethumb (1)little finger (5)
Cwhiteindex finger (2)middle finger (3)
Dwhitemiddle finger (3)index finger (2)
Fwhitelittle finger (5)thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on G, index finger (2) on C, middle finger (3) on D, little finger (5) on F.

Left hand: little finger (5) on G, middle finger (3) on C, index finger (2) on D, thumb (1) on F.

G 7sus4 Inversions

  • Root position
    G – C – D – F
  • 1st inversion (G7sus4/C)
    C – D – F – G
  • 2nd inversion (G7sus4/D)
    D – F – G – C
  • 3rd inversion (G7sus4/F)
    F – G – C – D

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the G 7sus4 is the tonic (I) chord of G Major, whose key signature has 1 sharp (F♯).

F♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

FCGDAEB

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of G Major

These are the triads built on each degree of G Major:

C1C2C3C4GBC5DC6C7C8
IG Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IG MajorMajor
2iiA MinorMinor
3iiiB MinorMinor
4IVC MajorMajor
5VD MajorMajor
6viE MinorMinor
7vii°F♯ DiminishedDiminished

G 7sus4 : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the G 7sus4 chord on piano?
The G 7sus4 chord contains the notes G – C – D – F. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the G 7sus4 chord?
The G 7sus4 chord (G7sus4) contains 4 notes: G, C, D, F. Formula: R-P4-P5-m7.
How is G7sus4 used in music?
G7sus4 is used in jazz, fusion, and contemporary music to add harmonic color. It appears as a dominant or tonic chord depending on context.
What is the scale degree formula for G7sus4?
G7sus4 uses scale degrees 1-4-5-b7, giving it its distinctive sound.

G 7sus4 in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

TypeNotesSemitonesSpanOmissions and additionsSet relationFit
Close, root positionG3 C4 D4 F410138 mmnoneidentical
Close, first inversionC4 D4 F4 G4796 mmnoneidentical
Close, second inversionD4 F4 G4 C510138 mmnoneidentical
Close, third inversionF4 G4 C5 D59124 mmnoneidentical
Drop 2D3 G3 C4 F415206 mmnoneidentical
Drop 3C3 G3 D4 F417234 mmnoneidentical
Drop 2 and 4G2 D3 C4 F422303 mmnoneidentical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

TypeNotesSemitonesSpanOmissions and additionsSet relationFit
Shell, root ♭7 4G2 F3 C417234 mmomits Dsubset
Guide tones, 4 and ♭7C4 F4569 mmomits G and Dsubset
Rootless closeC4 D4 F4569 mmomits Gsubset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

ChordChangeFormulaCommon tones
Gsus4drops F1 4 53
G7C becomes B1 3 5 ♭73
Gm7C becomes B♭1 ♭3 5 ♭73
G9C becomes B, A1 3 5 ♭7 93
Gm9C becomes B♭, A1 ♭3 5 ♭7 93
GC, F becomes B1 3 52
GmC, F becomes B♭1 ♭3 52
Gsus2C, F becomes A1 2 52
Gmaj7C, F becomes B, F♯1 3 5 72
GmMaj7C, F becomes B♭, F♯1 ♭3 5 72
Gm7♭5C, D becomes B♭, D♭1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭72
Gaug7C, D becomes B, D♯1 3 ♯5 ♭72

Frequencies

NoteMIDIFrequency
G355196.00 Hz
C460261.63 Hz
D462293.66 Hz
F465349.23 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector
Absolute pitch class set
{7, 0, 2, 5}
Normal order
[0, 2, 5, 7]
Prime form
(0257)
Forte number
4-23
Interval vector
<021030>
PairIntervalSemitonesInterval class
G to CPerfect fourth55
G to DPerfect fifth75
G to FMinor seventh102
C to DMajor second22
C to FPerfect fourth55
D to FMinor third33

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a 7sus4 applied to the root G, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.