C7sus4 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a - m - i · Smooth Bossa (2/4 · 6 notes · Level 2)
From the bass on the 5th to the 1st string there are 4 different notes. Six plucks give time to hear them. All 6 arpeggios
Subtle syncopation and oscillating timbre.
C7sus4 is built from C, F, G and Bb. C is the root, F the fourth, G the fifth and Bb the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are C, F, G and B flat.
From the low string to the high one you hear C, G, Bb, F and G. The note heard most is G, twice. It is not the root but the fifth. The lowest note is C on string 5 and the highest is G on string 1.
The main C7sus4 shape needs a barre at fret 3 across five strings. Avoid string 6. Everything fits between frets 3 and 6. The second shape on this page starts at fret 8.
Cm7 is one change away. String 2 moves from fret 6 to fret 4, bringing in Eb, the minor third of Cm7. It shares two notes with F, C and F. Going to C, one position stays the same.
You will find C7sus4 in eight different keys. In F major it is the V7sus4, in Eb major the VI7sus4 and in Bb major the II7sus4. The rest appear in the key list.
C 1F 4G 5Bb ♭7
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 3 (C)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 3. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 5, 2nd String (B) at fret 6. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 8. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 10 with your Pinky finger.
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 3 to 6 |
| Barre | fret 3, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 3 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 3, only the barre sounds the 5th, 3rd, and 1st strings.
The hand spans 4 frets, from 3 to 6.
Listen: C7sus4 → C · G · F
C7sus4 sits in the scale of 8 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the C7sus4 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the C7sus4 chord is its root note: C. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 3.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The C7sus4 chord is constructed using the 1 - 4 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Suspended Fourth Seventh). Its constituent pitches are C, F, G, Bb.
To prevent fret buzz on the C7sus4 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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