Gospel · Intermediate · major key

Gospel sus resolution

I – IV – V7sus4 – V7 — The suspended V holds the tension a moment longer before releasing.

Chord shapes in G major (standard tuning)

Using a different tuning? Open it in the Looper — it finds playable shapes for whatever tuning you choose.

How the chords work

Written in Roman numerals, this progression is I – IV – V7sus4 – V7 — in C major that is C – F – G7sus4 – G7. Each numeral is a step of the scale; upper case is a major chord, lower case minor.

• I — the home chord — the progression feels finished when it lands here.
• IV — a bright, open chord a fourth above home — the "amen" chord.
• V7sus4 — the tension chord that wants to resolve home.

Gospel sus resolution in all 12 keys

Practice ideas

• Beginners: play one strum per chord and say the chord names out loud, then two strums, then a steady down-down-up-up-down-up pattern.
• Change keys with a capo: keep the G major shapes and move a capo up — the capo calculator shows which fret gives the key you want.
• Solo over it: loop it in the Looper and improvise with the G major pentatonic or G major scale — the scale pages show every position and play a backing track.
• Train your ear: the progression ear trainer mixes this with similar progressions until you can tell them apart.

Similar progressions

• Gospel walk-up I – ii – iii – IV – V
• Gospel I–IV–I–V–vi–IV–I I – IV – I – V – vi – IV – I – I
• I–IV–ii–V I – IV – ii – V
• Anime chorus climb (IV–V–iii–vi–IV–V–I) IV – V – iii – vi – IV – V – I – I
• Funky 9th-chord blues I9 – IV9 – I9 – I9 – IV9 – IV9 – I9 – I9 – V9 – IV9 – I9 – V9
• ii–V–I–IV ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – IVmaj7

← Imaj7–vi7–IVmaj7–V7 · I–♭VII–IV–I →

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