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Tomus

Chord reference

Suspended fourth

1 – 4 – 5 · example: Csus4 = C – F – G

The third replaced by the fourth. Traditionally it resolves down to the third.

Written as a formula it is 1 – 4 – 5: the degrees of the major scale it keeps, with any that are altered marked. On C that gives Csus4 = C, F, G.

How it is built

  1. G
    fourth
  2. F
    perfect
  3. Croot
Csus4 stacked from the root upwards, with the interval between each pair of notes.
CFG
Csus4 written out as an arpeggio, lowest note first.
CDEFGABC
Csus4 on the keyboard. The root is the darker key.

Play it on any root

The explorer starts on Csus4. Strike it, then break it up one note at a time, then change the root — the shape on the keyboard is what stays the same. The other buttons are the chords one change away from this one.

The intervals above the root

Chord toneInterval above the rootSemitonesNote in Csus4
1Perfect unison0C
4Perfect fourth5F
5Perfect fifth7G

Inversions

The same notes can be stacked in any vertical order. The chord keeps its name; what changes is which note is in the bass. See chord inversions for why that matters, or press any notes into the chord identifier to have the chord and its inversion named for you.

PositionNotesWritten as
Root positionC – F – GCsus4
Fourth in the bassF – G – CCsus4/F
Second inversionG – C – FCsus4/G

This chord on every root

RootSymbolNotes
CCsus4C – F – G
D♭D♭sus4D♭ – G♭ – A♭
DDsus4D – G – A
E♭E♭sus4E♭ – A♭ – B♭
EEsus4E – A – B
FFsus4F – B♭ – C
F♯F♯sus4F♯ – B – C♯
GGsus4G – C – D
A♭A♭sus4A♭ – D♭ – E♭
AAsus4A – D – E
B♭B♭sus4B♭ – E♭ – F
BBsus4B – E – F♯
Twelve roots, one shape. The interval pattern above the root never changes.

Keep going

Nearby chords

All chord types

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