Also written A♭7sus4, A♭ or A♭ Dominant 7th Suspended 4th
A♭ 7th suspended 4th contains A♭, D♭, E♭, and G♭. The 4th-fret shape demands a wide stretch, and the 11th-fret inversion requires a full barre.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th between A♭ and D♭ creates the suspended sound, while the minor 7th G♭ adds tension. Compare it to A♭ suspended 4th, which omits the minor 7th.
It fits blues and rock bass lines that need a suspended dominant. Compare it to A♭ minor to hear the difference between a suspended dominant and a minor chord.
The 4th-fret shape keeps A♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The A♭7sus4/D♯ inversion at the 11th fret puts E♭ in the bass, which softens the chord and works well for a lighter texture.
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 4 6: index finger on the E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6.
Tip — The 11th-fret inversion requires barring all four strings cleanly while keeping the bass note E♭ clear.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 4 | 2 | G♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (G) | 6 | 4 | D♭ (4) |
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (4) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭7) |
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is written A♭7sus4, and the root is also spelled Ab in ASCII. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
No, this chord has no open-string voicing. The lowest position is the 4th-fret shape, which uses individual fingers.
They often let the middle finger collapse onto the A string, muting the 6th-fret note. Keep that finger arched to let every string ring.