Open chords - C, G, Am, F - are the foundation. But once you add 7ths and suspended shapes to your vocabulary, the character of your playing changes. A plain G chord states the key. A G7 creates movement, a pull toward the next chord. A Gsus4 adds tension that wants to resolve. These are not decoration. They are how music breathes.
Three chord families cover most of what you will encounter in folk, pop, and blues: dominant 7ths, major 7ths, and minor 7ths. Sus chords work differently - they replace the third rather than adding to it - but they are worth knowing alongside these.
Dominant 7th Chords
The dominant 7th (written as just "7" - C7, G7, D7) has a slight tension built in. It is the most common 7th chord in pop and blues, and it naturally pulls toward the chord a fourth above it.
On ukulele, G7 is actually easier to play than plain G for many beginners - it uses only two fingers. C7 and D7 are close to their open-chord shapes. Try them side by side with their plain versions to hear the difference: the 7th adds a slightly darker, more restless quality.
Major 7th Chords
Major 7th chords (Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Gmaj7) sound rich and resolved - almost dreamy. They are common in jazz and bossa nova, but they also appear in pop and singer-songwriter material. Unlike the dominant 7th, they do not create tension. They settle.
Cmaj7 on ukulele is a one-finger chord - simply lift your middle finger off a regular C. That makes it an easy experiment: play C, then Cmaj7, and notice how the sound opens up.
Minor 7th Chords
Minor 7th chords (Am7, Dm7, Em7) are smoother than plain minor chords. The added note softens the sadness without removing it. You will hear them in soul, R&B, and any progression that needs minor chords to feel less stark.
Am7 and Em7 are both simpler than their plain minor versions on ukulele. Worth learning early - they appear in a wide range of songs.
Sus Chords
Suspended chords (sus2, sus4) replace the third of the chord with either the second or fourth. The result is an open, unresolved sound that often immediately resolves back to the plain chord. Think of it as a brief question before an answer.
The most common use is sus4 to plain major: Csus4 to C, or Gsus4 to G. Try playing Gsus4 for two beats, then resolving to G. That motion appears in hundreds of songs.
Practice Exercise
Work through these two progressions, one chord per bar. Slow the tempo until every chord rings cleanly.
Progression 1 (dominant 7 in action):
C - Am7 - F - G7 - C
Progression 2 (sus resolve):
Gsus4 - G - Csus4 - C
Listen for how G7 creates a pull toward C in the first progression. In the second, notice how the sus chord holds tension before the plain chord arrives. These two moves are behind a large portion of popular music.
Questions and Answers
What is the difference between a dominant 7th and a major 7th chord?
A dominant 7th chord (G7, C7) adds a note that is one whole step below the octave, creating slight tension. A major 7th chord (Gmaj7, Cmaj7) adds a note that is one half step below the octave, creating a rich, resolved sound. Dominant 7ths pull toward the next chord; major 7ths settle into place.
What does a sus chord mean in music?
Sus stands for "suspended." A sus chord replaces the third of a chord with either the second (sus2) or the fourth (sus4), leaving the sound unresolved. Sus chords are almost always temporary - they resolve to the plain major or minor chord a beat or two later.
