Hear the idea before you study it.
Small note changes create big emotional shifts. Let a colour serve the music rather than adding extensions to every chord.
Part 01
Suspended, added and extended notes
In a suspended fourth chord, the third is replaced by the fourth. Csus4 is C–F–G; the E is missing. That absence makes a satisfying little movement possible when F falls back to E in a plain C chord.
Hold C and G. Alternate the middle note E and F to hear the sus4 resolve, then add D above the triad.
04 · Go deeper into suspended, added and extended notes
Cadd9 is different. It keeps the major third and adds D: C–E–G–D. The extra note gives an open, airy quality without turning it into a dominant chord.
Cmaj7 (C–E–G–B) sounds different again because B sits just below C. C9 normally contains a lowered seventh as well as a ninth, while Cadd9 does not. It's worth understanding that distinction before using either symbol.
- Csus4
- C–F–G. The third is replaced by the fourth.
- Cadd9
- C–E–G–D. Keeps the third and adds a ninth.
- Cmaj7
- C–E–G–B. Adds a major seventh.
Part 02
Borrowed chords: the bittersweet minor four
One of the loveliest changes in a major key comes from borrowing its minor iv chord. In C major, F major is F–A–C. F minor is F–A♭–C. A falls just one semitone to A♭, yet the whole scene changes.
Try the same idea on G: G → C → Cm6 → G. Play slowly and follow E → E♭ → D.
04 · Go deeper into borrowed chords: the bittersweet minor four
Adding D to make Fm6 (F–A♭–C–D) gives another note that can move smoothly into C major. The progression C → F → Fm6 → C is a useful ear-training exercise because you can follow the inner motion A → A♭ → G.
Borrowing doesn't mean you've permanently changed key. It's a brief colour from a parallel key: in this example, a moment of C minor brought into a C-major setting.
Part 03
Tension belongs to a destination
Dominant seventh chords already create a pull toward another chord. In the key of C, G7 contains G–B–D–F, and B often rises to C while F falls to E.
Keep the tempo slow. Hear whether the altered dominant strengthens the return home—or overwhelms the musical phrase.
04 · Go deeper into tension belongs to a destination
An altered dominant intensifies that movement. G7♭9 adds A♭, a dark semitone above G, while G7♭5 swaps D for D♭. These colours can be dramatic, but they sound most purposeful when you know where they're heading.
A sophisticated chord isn't automatically a better one. Try playing G7 → C first, then G7♭9 → C, and choose what suits your tune.
Try the ideas for yourself.
Hear a progression, follow the keyboard and make a variation that feels like yours.