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E♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar (E♭7sus4)
Also called or written E♭7sus4, E♭ or E♭ Dominant 7th Suspended 4th
E♭ 7th suspended 4th contains E♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭. The default voicing is a full six-string barre at the 11th fret, with the pinky stretching to the 13th fret on the G string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7
- Root positionE♭–A♭–B♭–D♭E♭7sus411-11-11-13-11-11
- First inversionA♭–B♭–D♭–E♭E♭7sus4/A♭4-4-6-6-4-6
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–E♭–A♭E♭7sus4/B♭×-1-1-1-2-×
- Third inversionD♭–E♭–A♭–B♭E♭7sus4/D♭×-4-6-6-4-6
How do you play an E♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar?
E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 11 13 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre all six strings at the 11th fret while the pinky reaches the 13th fret on the G string, requiring strength and stretch.
11th fret · 11-13-11-13-11-11
E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 11 13 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
E♭7sus4/A♭ inversion · fret 4
E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 4th fret as 4 4 6 6 4 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the D string at fret 6, ring finger on the G string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 2 | A♭ (4) |
| 3 (G) | 6 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
E♭7sus4/A♭ inversion · fret 11
E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 11th fret as × 11 11 13 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
E♭7sus4/B♭ inversion
E♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 1st fret as × 1 1 1 2 ×: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
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♭ replaces the major 3rd, suspending the chord. Compare it to E♭ suspended 4th, which omits the minor 7th.
What goes wrong with E♭ 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
E♭ 7th suspended 4th works as the V chord in A♭ major, resolving to A♭ major in a I–IV–V–I progression. It also fits E♭ minor and E♭ 5th contexts. The suspended 4th creates tension before a resolution to E♭ major.
Changing to and from E♭ 7th suspended 4th
- Move to E♭ minor by lifting the pinky and placing it on the G string at the 11th fret, while keeping the barre at the 11th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 11th fret barre voicing is the default and keeps E♭ in the bass. The E♭7sus4/A♭ inversion at the 4th fret puts A♭ in the bass, softening the root. Choose the root-position shape for a firm foundation.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How do I write E♭ 7th suspended 4th?
E♭ 7th suspended 4th is written E♭7sus4 or Eb7sus4. The ASCII root is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What mistake do players make with the E♭7sus4 barre?
The pinky often fails to press the G string at the 13th fret cleanly, causing a muted note. Keep the pinky arched and close to the fret.
How does E♭7sus4 differ from E♭ minor 7th?
E♭7sus4 replaces the minor 3rd G♭ with the perfect 4th A♭. E♭ minor 7th contains G♭, while E♭7sus4 contains A♭, creating a suspended sound.