F 9sus4 (F9sus4)

1+4+5+b7+9
FCGBbEb
4 4
Download MIDI

Notes in F 9sus4

F (root)BbCEbG

Inversions

Same notes as F 9sus4, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

F in the bass

FCGBbEb

1st inversion

Bb in the bass

CGFBbEb

2nd inversion

C in the bass

CGFEbBb

3rd inversion

Eb in the bass

GFCEbBb

4th inversion

G in the bass

GFCBbEb

Open voicings

A close-position chord like F 9sus4 can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

Eb on the bottom

FCGEbBb

Drop 3

C on the bottom

CFGBbEb

Play F, Bb, C, Eb and G together and you get F 9sus4.

A 7sus4 chord with a ninth added on top. The suspended fourth keeps the chord open and undecided between major and minor, while the ninth fills out the top end. Gospel and modern jazz piano lean on it for vamps that need movement without committing to either quality.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Category: Extended chords. Click any highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.