What Is a Major Sus4 7th Chord?
A major sus4 7th chord combines a suspended 4th triad with a major 7th interval. Like all sus chords, it has no third — creating a tonally ambiguous, open quality. The major 7th at the top adds a dreamy luminosity above the grounded, held quality of the perfect fourth.
Written as Cmaj7sus4, this chord sits between the openness of a dominant sus4 (C7sus4) and the brightness of a major 7th (Cmaj7). It has no sharp tension — just a beautiful, suspended glow.
How to Build a Major Sus4 7th Chord
Formula
Root + Perfect 4th + Perfect 5th + Major 7th
Semitones: 0 — 5 — 7 — 11
Example: C Major Sus4 7th
- C (root)
- F (5 semitones = perfect fourth)
- G (7 semitones = perfect fifth)
- B (11 semitones = major seventh)
vs. Cmaj7: Cmaj7 = C E G B. Cmaj7sus4 = C F G B. The third (E) is replaced by the fourth (F). The chord becomes more open and suspended while keeping the major 7th shimmer.
All 12 Major Sus4 7th Chords
| Chord | Root | Perfect 4th | Perfect 5th | Major 7th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmaj7sus4 | C | F | G | B |
| Gmaj7sus4 | G | C | D | F# |
| Dmaj7sus4 | D | G | A | C# |
| Amaj7sus4 | A | D | E | G# |
| Emaj7sus4 | E | A | B | D# |
| Bmaj7sus4 | B | E | F# | A# |
| F#maj7sus4 | F# | B | C# | E# |
| Fmaj7sus4 | F | B♭ | C | E |
| B♭maj7sus4 | B♭ | E♭ | F | A |
| E♭maj7sus4 | E♭ | A♭ | B♭ | D |
| A♭maj7sus4 | A♭ | D♭ | E♭ | G |
| D♭maj7sus4 | D♭ | G♭ | A♭ | C |
The Sound of a Major Sus4 7th Chord
Open, grounded, luminous, suspended, modern, beautiful.
Cmaj7sus4 sounds like a major 7th chord that has been opened up and suspended. The perfect fourth creates more grounded stability than a sus2 but without the sharpness of a major third. Combined with the major 7th shimmer, the result is a chord that feels peaceful, open, and harmonically rich.
It's widely used in contemporary jazz, new age, and cinematic music where a pure, uncluttered harmonic backdrop is needed.
Sus4 vs. Sus2 Maj7 Comparison
Cmaj7sus2: C D G B — wide, airy, and light
Cmaj7sus4: C F G B — grounded, held, and luminous
Both are open and third-less. Sus2 feels wider; sus4 feels more grounded and anticipated.
How to Use Major Sus4 7th Chords
1. As a tonic substitute: Replace Cmaj7 with Cmaj7sus4 for a more open, contemporary sound.
2. As a pre-resolution chord: Move Cmaj7sus4 → Cmaj7 by dropping the F to E. A smooth, resolved motion within the same harmony.
3. In cinematic and ambient music: Maj7sus4 chords are common in film scores and ambient music for their pure, open atmosphere.
4. In jazz piano voicings: Jazz pianists often use maj7sus4 voicings to avoid the major third and create more harmonically ambiguous textures.
Free: Chord Ear Training Cheat Sheet
Train your ear to hear the open, suspended quality of major 7th sus4 chords.