Piano chord
A♭sus4A flat suspended fourth
- A♭1
- D♭4
- E♭5
- Notes
- 3
- Positions
- 3
- Span
- 7semitones
- Fingers
- 1-3-5
How to play A♭sus4 on piano
- Find A♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on A♭, 3 on D♭, 5 on E♭.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on A♭, 2 on D♭, 1 on E♭.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · A♭ – D♭ – E♭
1st inversion · D♭ – E♭ – A♭
2nd inversion · E♭ – A♭ – D♭
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
A♭sus4 inversions
Here are all 3 positions of A♭sus4. The notes stay the same, only their order changes: root position has A♭ at the bottom, and every inversion starts on the next chord tone.
- Root positionbass: A♭Right hand 1-3-5 · Left hand 5-2-1
- 1st inversionbass: D♭Right hand 1-2-5 · Left hand 5-3-1
- 2nd inversionbass: E♭Right hand 1-2-5 · Left hand 5-2-1
A♭sus4 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays A♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays A♭–D♭–E♭.
A♭sus4 on other instruments
About the A♭sus4 chord
The 3 notes of A flat suspended fourth are A♭ (1), D♭ (4), E♭ (5). A suspended fourth: the third is replaced by the fourth. It sounds unfinished and usually resolves to the major chord on the same root.
The keys are A♭ – D♭ – E♭, counted up from A♭; the distance from the lowest to the highest key is 7 semitones. Any hand that reaches an octave can hold A♭sus4, so it works in either hand.
In the inversions of A♭sus4 the root moves up and another note takes the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is D♭ (D♭–E♭–A♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is E♭ (E♭–A♭–D♭).
Take G♭ out of A♭7sus4 and you get A♭sus4.
Questions
What notes are in the A♭sus4 chord?
A♭sus4 (A flat suspended fourth) has 3 notes: A♭ (1), D♭ (4), E♭ (5).
How many inversions does A♭sus4 have?
A♭sus4 can be played in 3 positions: Root position (A♭–D♭–E♭); 1st inversion (D♭–E♭–A♭); 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–D♭).
What is the difference between A♭sus4 and A♭7sus4?
Take G♭ out of A♭7sus4 and you get A♭sus4.
Can I play A♭sus4 with one hand?
Yes. In root position A♭sus4 spans 7 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.