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E♭ suspended 4th chord on ukulele (E♭sus4)
Also called or written E♭sus4, E♭sus or E♭ Suspended
E♭ suspended 4th is built from E♭, A♭, and B♭. The default voicing spans four frets and uses all four fingers, so it is not a beginner shape.
How it is built
Formula 1, 4, 5
- Root positionE♭–A♭–B♭E♭sus43-3-4-×
- First inversionA♭–B♭–E♭E♭sus4/A♭8-8-6-6
- Second inversionB♭–E♭–A♭E♭sus4/B♭×-10-11-11
How do you play an E♭ suspended 4th chord on ukulele?
E♭ suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 8 8 6 6: ring finger on the G string at fret 8, pinky finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 4 | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
IntermediateThe pinky must fret the C string at fret 8 while the index and middle hold fret 6, stretching the hand across four frets.
E♭sus4/A♭ inversion · ×-8-6-6
E♭ suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as × 8 6 6: ring finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 6 and middle finger on the A string at fret 6. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 3 | A♭ (4) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
3rd fret
E♭ suspended 4th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 3 4 ×: index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 3 and ring finger on the E string at fret 4. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (4) |
| 1 (A) | muted | — | — |
E♭sus4/B♭ inversion
E♭ suspended 4th is played at the 10th fret as × 10 11 11: index finger on the C string at fret 10, middle finger on the E string at fret 11 and ring finger on the A string at fret 11. The G string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (4) |
Why it sounds like that
The formula 1, 4, 5 replaces the third with a perfect fourth, removing major or minor quality. The fourth interval creates the suspended sound. Compare with E♭ major, which has G instead of A♭.
What goes wrong with E♭ suspended 4th?
- Let the pinky collapse and mute the E string.
- Press the index finger too hard, causing the A string to buzz.
When to use it
E♭ suspended 4th works as a tonic substitute in E♭ major, often in the I–IV–V–I progression: E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭. It suits pop and rock where the suspension adds motion. Use it before a E♭ major to create a lift.
Changing to and from E♭ suspended 4th
- Slide the whole shape down one fret to the 5th fret to play D suspended 4th.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret voicing has E♭ in the bass and is the most complete. The E♭sus4/G♯ inversion puts A♭ in the bass for a softer, less grounded sound. The E♭sus4/A♯ inversions place B♭ in the bass, adding tension that wants to resolve upward.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ suspended 4th written?
E♭ suspended 4th is written E♭sus or E♭sus4. The ASCII root is Eb, so Ebsus and Ebsus4 are also used. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭sus4 and E♭sus2?
E♭sus4 replaces the third with a fourth (A♭), while E♭sus2 replaces it with a second (F). E♭sus4 has a stronger pull to resolve to the major third.
Can I use E♭ suspended 4th in place of E♭ major?
Yes, but only when the melody does not need the major third. The suspension creates a floating quality that resolves when you return to E♭ major.