Inversions
The same notes with a different one at the bottom, listed from the lowest note up.
| Position | Notes, low to high | Symbol | Right hand | Left hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A♭ D♭ E♭ | A♭sus4 | 1-3-5 | 5-3-1 |
| 1st inversion | D♭ E♭ A♭ | A♭sus4/D♭ | 1-2-5 | 5-3-1 |
| 2nd inversion | E♭ A♭ D♭ | A♭sus4/E♭ | 1-3-5 | 5-2-1 |
About this chord
Its formula is 1 4 5: the perfect fourth (P4) and perfect fifth (P5) above the root, A♭.
Counted in semitones from A♭, its notes are 0, 5, 7.
A sus4 chord plays the fourth instead of the third. The fourth wants to fall to the third, so the chord often resolves to the major or minor chord on the same root.
On the piano it uses the same keys as G♯sus4 (G♯ C♯ D♯). This page spells it A♭sus4, which reads more simply.
In root position, play it with fingers 1-3-5 in the right hand, or 5-3-1 in the left hand (1 is the thumb, 5 the little finger).
Find the root first, place the other fingers over the coloured keys, then press them all together so every note sounds at the same time.
Questions and answers
What notes are in the A♭ suspended 4th chord?
The A♭sus4 chord has three notes: A♭, D♭ and E♭. Counted from the root, its formula is 1-4-5.
What is the fingering for the A♭sus4 chord?
In root position, use fingers 1-3-5 of the right hand or 5-3-1 of the left hand. For the inversions: 1st inversion 1-2-5 (right hand) or 5-3-1 (left hand) and 2nd inversion 1-3-5 (right hand) or 5-2-1 (left hand).
The chord list follows pianochord.io by Enkai Ji, used under the MIT licence. Licence