Suspended fourth and sixth · Lead-sheet symbols · Music theory
In a chord with a suspended fourth, the perfect 4th takes the place of the 3rd: Csus4 is C, F, G. With no 3rd, the ear cannot tell major from minor, and…
Suspended fourth and sixth
In a chord with a suspended fourth, the perfect 4th takes the place of the 3rd: Csus4 is C, F, G. With no 3rd, the ear cannot tell major from minor, and the chord stays suspended: hence the name. It can resolve down to the 3rd, like the classical suspension it comes from, or remain as a color. The most common is the 7sus4: G7sus4 delays the leading tone of the dominant.
A sixth chord adds a major 6th to the triad: C6 is C, E, G, A. It is a stable alternative to the seventh, especially on the tonic, and very common in swing. It also has a trap: C6 and Am7 have exactly the same notes. What decides is the bass, which gives the root we hear, and the function in the phrase.