Explore chords · Guitar
A♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar (A♭7sus4)
Also called or written A♭7sus4, A♭ or A♭ Dominant 7th Suspended 4th
A♭ 7th suspended 4th contains A♭, D♭, E♭ and G♭. The default voicing is a full six-string barre at the 4th fret, with the pinky stretching to the 6th fret on the G string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7
- Root positionA♭–D♭–E♭–G♭A♭7sus44-4-4-6-4-4
- First inversionD♭–E♭–G♭–A♭A♭7sus4/D♭×-4-4-6-4-4
- Second inversionE♭–G♭–A♭–D♭A♭7sus4/E♭×-×-1-1-2-2
- Third inversionG♭–A♭–D♭–E♭A♭7sus4/G♭×-×-4-6-4-4
How do you play an A♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar?
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 4th fret as 4 4 4 6 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 4 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | D♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre all six strings at the 4th fret while the pinky reaches the 6th fret on the G string, requiring strength and stretch.
4th fret · 4-6-4-6-4-4
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 4 6 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | D♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
A♭7sus4/D♭ inversion · fret 4
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 4th fret as × 4 4 6 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 4 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 4 | D♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
A♭7sus4/D♭ inversion · fret 9
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 9th fret as 9 9 11 11 9 11: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the G string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (4) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | D♭ (4) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 3 | G♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
A♭7sus4/E♭ inversion
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 1st fret as × × 1 1 2 2: index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 2. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | D♭ (4) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 4 | G♭ (♭7) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th between A♭ and D♭ replaces the major 3rd, suspending the chord. Compare it to A♭ suspended 4th, which omits the minor 7th.
What goes wrong with A♭ 7th suspended 4th?
- Buzzing on the B or high E string because the barre is uneven.
- Letting the pinky flatten and touch the D or B string, muting them.
When to use it
A♭ 7th suspended 4th works as the V chord in C♯ major, resolving to C♯ major in a I–IV–V–I progression. It also fits A♭ minor and A♭ 5th contexts. The suspended 4th creates tension before a resolution to A♭ major.
Changing to and from A♭ 7th suspended 4th
- Move to A♭ minor by lifting the pinky and placing it on the G string at the 4th fret, while keeping the barre at the 4th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret barre voicing is the default and keeps A♭ in the bass. The A♭7sus4/D♭ inversion at the 4th fret puts D♭ in the bass, softening the root. Choose the root-position shape for a firm foundation.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How do I write A♭ 7th suspended 4th?
A♭ 7th suspended 4th is written A♭7sus4 or Ab7sus4. The ASCII root is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What mistake do players make with the A♭7sus4 barre?
The pinky often fails to press the G string at the 6th fret cleanly, causing a muted note. Keep the pinky arched and close to the fret.
How does A♭7sus4 differ from A♭ minor 7th?
A♭7sus4 replaces the minor 3rd C♭ with the perfect 4th D♭. A♭ minor 7th contains C♭, while A♭7sus4 contains D♭, creating a suspended sound.