A Flat Sus4 Chord

How to play A♭sus4 on guitar

Read the diagrams with the low E string on the left. × means do not play that string, ○ means play it open.

Easier way: there is no open A♭sus4 shape, so it is usually played with one of the movable shapes above. With a capo you can use a shape you already know: capo on fret 1 and play the Gsus4 shape, or capo on fret 4 and play the Esus4 shape.

How to play A♭sus4 on piano

Play A♭, D♭, E♭ together. With your right hand, use fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb on A♭). Your left hand can play A♭ an octave lower for a fuller sound.

How A♭sus4 is used

A sus4 chord takes out the third and puts the fourth in its place. A♭sus4 has D♭ where A♭ has C. With no third, the chord is neither major nor minor, and it sounds like it is waiting to go somewhere.

Most of the time the D♭ drops one step and the chord settles back into A♭. Try these:

• A♭ - A♭sus4 - A♭: a quick change that adds movement while you strum one chord.
• A♭sus4 - A♭ - D♭: the sus4 builds a little tension before the five chord resolves to D♭.

Related chords

• A♭ (A flat major)
• G♯m (G sharp minor)
• A♭7 (A flat seventh)
• A♭maj7 (A flat major seventh)
• G♯m7 (G sharp minor seventh)
• All chords in the library

Change this chord into another key with the Chord Transposer, or look up any other chord or scale in the Chord and Scale Finder.