Tools / Chords / A♭ 7th suspended 4th

A♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on ukulele (A♭7sus4)

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

Ukulele · A♭7sus4/E♭ inversion

A♭ 7th suspended 4th is built from A♭, D♭, E♭, and G♭. The default shape requires a four-fret stretch, making it a challenge for smaller hands.

A♭7sus4/E♭ inversion1-3-2-4

Positions on the neck1 of 3

How it’s built

A♭1Root

D♭4Perfect 4th

E♭5Perfect 5th

G♭♭7Minor 7th

Formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7

Positions on the neck1 of 3

Inversions

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

Root positionA♭–D♭–E♭–G♭A♭7sus4Bass A♭

First inversionD♭–E♭–G♭–A♭A♭7sus4/D♭Bass D♭

Second inversionE♭–G♭–A♭–D♭A♭7sus4/E♭Bass E♭

Third inversionG♭–A♭–D♭–E♭A♭7sus4/G♭Bass G♭

Why it sounds like that

A♭ 7th suspended 4th uses the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th from A♭ to D♭ creates the suspended quality, while the minor 7th from A♭ to G♭ adds dominant tension. Compare it to A♭ suspended 4th, which omits the 7th.

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

Letting your pinky collapse onto the A string, causing a buzz.
Flattening your middle finger onto the E string, muting it.
Fretting the G string with too much pressure, sharpening the pitch.

When to use it

Its dark, rich sound suits jazz, R&B, and ballads. Use it to add tension before a C♯ major resolution. Compare A♭ minor.

Changing to and from A♭ 7th suspended 4th

Move to <a href="/ukulele/a-7-sus4-chord">A 7th suspended 4th</a> by shifting the shape up one fret.
Slide the shape up two frets to reach <a href="/ukulele/b-flat-7-sus4-chord">B♭ 7th suspended 4th</a>.

Which voicing to use

The E♭ inversion at 1-3-2-4 puts the 5th in the bass, giving a stable but suspended feel. The G♭ inversion at 6-6-4-6 has the 7th in the bass, adding tension. The 8th fret shape has A♭ in the bass, providing a root-position sound.

How do you play an A♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on ukulele?

A♭7sus4/E♭ inversion

Intermediate● On the diagram

A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 2 4: index finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the C string at fret 3, middle finger on the E string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 4.

Tip — The pinky must reach the 4th fret A string while the index finger holds the 1st fret G string, requiring a wide stretch.

String-by-string breakdown

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

A♭7sus4/G♭ inversion

Intermediate

A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 4th fret as 6 6 4 6: middle finger on the G string at fret 6, ring finger on the C string at fret 6, index finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 6.

String-by-string breakdown

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

8th fret

Intermediate

A♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 9 9: index finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the C string at fret 8, ring finger on the E string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 9.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	8	1	E♭ (5)
3 (C)	8	2	A♭ (1)
2 (E)	9	3	D♭ (4)
1 (A)	9	4	G♭ (♭7)

Common questions

How is A♭ 7th suspended 4th written?

A♭ 7th suspended 4th is written as A♭7sus4 or A♭. The ASCII root is Ab, so it can be typed as Ab7sus4. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

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

A♭7sus4 replaces the major 3rd (C) with a perfect 4th (D♭). A♭7 contains the major 3rd, giving it a stronger dominant pull. The suspended version sounds more open and less resolved.

Can A♭7sus4 be used in minor keys?

Yes, A♭7sus4 appears in A♭ natural minor as the VII chord. It also fits E♭ natural minor and B♭ natural minor. Its lack of a major 3rd makes it flexible across modes.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

A♭ (1)

3 (C)

E♭ (5)

2 (E)

G♭ (♭7)

1 (A)

D♭ (4)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

D♭ (4)

3 (C)

G♭ (♭7)

2 (E)

A♭ (1)

1 (A)

E♭ (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

E♭ (5)

3 (C)

A♭ (1)

2 (E)

D♭ (4)

1 (A)

G♭ (♭7)