Tools / Chords / E♭ 7th suspended 4th

E♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on bass (E♭7sus4)

Also written E♭7sus4, E♭ or E♭ Dominant 7th Suspended 4th

E♭ 7th suspended 4th contains E♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭. The 11th fret shape demands a wide stretch across all four strings.

11th fret11-13-11-13

Positions on the neck1 of 2

How it’s built

E♭1Root

A♭4Perfect 4th

B♭5Perfect 5th

D♭♭7Minor 7th

Formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7

Positions on the neck1 of 2

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionE♭–A♭–B♭–D♭E♭7sus4Bass E♭

First inversionA♭–B♭–D♭–E♭E♭7sus4/A♭Bass A♭

Second inversionB♭–D♭–E♭–A♭E♭7sus4/B♭Bass B♭

Third inversionD♭–E♭–A♭–B♭E♭7sus4/D♭Bass D♭

Why it sounds like that

E♭ 7th suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th between E♭ and A♭ suspends the chord. Compare it with E♭ suspended 4th, which omits the minor 7th.

What goes wrong with E♭ 7th suspended 4th?

Letting the ring finger flatten onto the 2nd string, dulling the D.
Pressing the pinky too hard, which can bend the 1st string out of tune.

When to use it

E♭ 7th suspended 4th works as the V chord in A♭ major, in progressions like A♭ major–D♭ major–E♭ major–A♭ major (I–IV–V–I). It suits rock and blues lines that need a suspended dominant. Compare E♭ minor for a darker alternative.

Changing to and from E♭ 7th suspended 4th

Sliding the shape down two frets to the 9th fret gives C♯ 7th suspended 4th.
Sliding the shape down one fret to the 10th fret gives D 7th suspended 4th.

Which voicing to use

The 11th fret position keeps E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The barre inversion at the 6th fret puts B♭ in the bass, creating a second-inversion feel.

How do you play an E♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on bass?

11th fret

Intermediate● On the diagram

E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 11 13: index finger on the E string at fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 13, middle finger on the D string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.

Tip — The two-fret stretch between index and ring fingers on adjacent strings is demanding at the 11th fret.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	11	1	E♭ (1)
3 (A)	13	3	B♭ (5)
2 (D)	11	2	D♭ (♭7)
1 (G)	13	4	A♭ (4)

E♭7sus4/B♭ inversion

Barre

E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (E)	6	1 (barre)	B♭ (5)
3 (A)	6	1 (barre)	E♭ (1)
2 (D)	6	1 (barre)	A♭ (4)
1 (G)	6	1 (barre)	D♭ (♭7)

Common questions

How is E♭7sus4 written in ASCII?

E♭7sus4 is written as Eb7sus4 in ASCII. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

What is the difference between E♭7sus4 and E♭7?

E♭7sus4 replaces the major third (G) with a perfect fourth (A♭). E♭7 contains G, giving it a stronger pull to A♭ major.

Can E♭7sus4 be used in a minor key?

Yes, E♭7sus4 fits E♭ natural minor as a dominant chord. It also appears in A♭ natural minor and B♭ natural minor progressions.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

E♭ (1)

3 (A)

B♭ (5)

2 (D)

D♭ (♭7)

1 (G)

A♭ (4)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (E)

1 (barre)

B♭ (5)

3 (A)

1 (barre)

E♭ (1)

2 (D)

1 (barre)

A♭ (4)

1 (G)

1 (barre)

D♭ (♭7)