A♭ suspended 4th chord on piano
A♭sus4 is a suspended 4th chord built on A♭. It uses the notes A♭ - D♭ - E♭ and sounds unresolved; it usually settles back to the major chord. It is also written as G♯ suspended 4th.
- Notes
- A♭ D♭ E♭
- Formula
- 1 - 4 - 5
- Right hand fingering
- 1 - 3 - 5
- Left hand fingering
- 5 - 3 - 1
- Chord symbol
- A♭sus4
How to play A♭sus4 step by step
- Find A♭. A♭ is the middle black key in each group of three. The same key is also called G♯.
- Add D♭, 5 half steps above A♭.
- Add E♭, 7 half steps above A♭.
- Press all 3 keys together with fingers 1 - 3 - 5 of your right hand. Keep your wrist level and let the weight of your arm do the work.
A♭sus4 inversions
An inversion uses the same notes in a different order. Inversions let your hand move less between chords, which is how pianists make chord changes sound smooth.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭ suspended 4th chord?
The A♭ suspended 4th chord (A♭sus4) contains 3 notes: A♭, D♭, E♭. Its formula is 1 - 4 - 5.
How do you play A♭sus4 on piano?
Put your right-hand thumb on A♭ and play A♭, D♭, E♭ together using fingers 1 - 3 - 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 - 3 - 1.
Is A♭ suspended 4th the same as G♯ suspended 4th?
Yes. A♭ suspended 4th and G♯ suspended 4th use exactly the same piano keys. The name you see depends on the key signature of the piece.