C9sus4 — dominant ninth suspended fourth
Notes in C9sus4: C – F – G – Bb – DFormula: 1 – 4 – 5 – b7 – 9In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.
The 7sus4 with the ninth on top. It is a two-storey chord: a minor triad sitting on a different bass — Gm7Gm7Gm7Gm7 over C — which is why it sounds modern and floating.
The same chord on all four instruments
Where to use it: Neo-soul, gospel and bossa vamps; ideal for holding a section without resolving.
The shapes of C9sus4 don't end on this page — the whole neck holds dozens. In Chord & Fret, you hear every shape strummed string by string, in each instrument's own voice; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and set a capo — the diagrams redraw above it. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. Plays offline.
See the whole neck in Chord & Fret →Part of the Suspended family.