The Absus4 chord contains A♭, D♭ and E♭. Also written A♭sus4, it has formula 1–4–5. D♭ replaces the third C of A♭ major; compare root position with two inversions.
The Absus4 chord keeps A♭ and E♭ from A♭ major and substitutes D♭ for C. A♭–D♭ spans five semitones and A♭–E♭ seven. C natural and C♭ are both absent: this collection uses a fourth in place of a major or minor third.
Preserve the written note spelling shown for this chord.
Choose a position to keep the written notes, sounding keys, bass note, playback and print reference synchronized.
Build the Absus4 chord with A♭, D♭ and E♭. B♭ in place of D♭ gives Absus2; C gives A♭ major. The exercise checks pitch classes, so selection order and octave do not determine an inversion or a performance result.
A♭sus4 uses 1–4–5: A♭–D♭–E♭.
Compared with A♭ major, replace the third with the fourth.
The chord tones stay the same while the lowest chord tone changes.
| Position | Symbol | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position, current selection | A♭sus4 | A♭3–D♭4–E♭4 | A♭3 |
| First inversion | A♭sus4/D♭ | D♭4–E♭4–A♭4 | D♭4 |
| Second inversion | A♭sus4/E♭ | E♭4–A♭4–D♭5 | E♭4 |
Select an Absus4 chord position to compare the bass and register. D♭ begins the first inversion and E♭ the second. All three pitch classes use black keys on the piano. The diagrams provide written notes without finger numbers or a prescribed one-hand shape.
Use the written notes, keyboard positions and playback without treating the diagram as a required hand shape.
Read left- and right-hand finger numbersPianoChord.org
Supports: sus4 chord formula and written tone pattern
Scope: Supports the chord formula and spelling only; keyboard layouts are PianoGrid examples, and no fingering is assigned.
A♭, D♭ and E♭: root, perfect fourth and perfect fifth. This suspended collection contains no third.
The Absus4 chord uses D♭, the fourth above A♭. Absus2 uses B♭, the second. The root A♭ and fifth E♭ stay the same.
Moving D♭ down to C changes the Absus4 chord to A♭ major. That is a useful comparison to hear, but the surrounding music determines whether and where a resolution happens.
D♭ identifies the first inversion and E♭ the second. Root position has A♭ lowest. Each displayed position keeps all three chord tones while changing their order.
Select the three pitch classes that make A♭sus4, then check your answer.
This one-octave exercise checks pitch classes. Order and octave do not affect the result; fingering and live performance are not assessed.
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.
Chord tones: A♭–D♭–E♭ · Formula: 1, 4, 5
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.