A♭sus4 guitar chord
How to play A♭sus4 on guitar — the notes A♭, D♭, E♭, a shape you can tap to hear, the keys it lives in, and a progression to hear it in context. Free.
The shape
Tap the diagram to hear A♭sus4 strummed. A♭sus4 is played as a barre chord around fret 11: lay a finger across the strings at that fret and build the shape on top. Movable, so the same grip works up and down the neck.
The notes in A♭sus4
A suspended fourth chord is spelled from its root up: A♭ (R), D♭ (4), E♭ (5). Those are the only notes in A♭sus4 — play them in any order, in any octave, and it's still A♭sus4.
What a suspended fourth chord is
In plain terms, a sus4 replaces the third with the fourth (root, 4th, 5th) — the fourth leans on the ear and wants to fall back to the third.
How it's used: The classic suspension: play the sus4, then resolve to the plain chord and you get that satisfying 'sit down' release. The Vsus4→V is a staple.
The sound: Tense-then-sweet; suspended, waiting to resolve. Where you'll hear it: Rock and pop intros and turnarounds, gospel, and big ringing suspended-chord intros.
Hear A♭sus4 in a progression
The suspension and its release: the sus4 leans, then resolves to the plain chord. Press play, and drag the Key control to move it anywhere.
Other A♭ chords
suspended fourth chords on other roots
Chords and their spellings are shared facts of music theory. Every diagram and sound here is generated by ThunderFret's own engine — no tabs, lyrics or recordings are reproduced.
Open A♭sus4 in the interactive tool to see every place it sits on the neck, hear it, and find the shape that fits your hand — free.
See A♭sus4 on the fretboardFrequently asked
What notes are in A♭sus4?
A♭sus4 is made of 3 notes: A♭ (the R), D♭ (the 4), E♭ (the 5).
How do you play A♭sus4 on guitar?
A♭sus4 is played as a barre chord around fret 11: lay a finger across the strings at that fret and build the shape on top. Movable, so the same grip works up and down the neck.
When would I use A♭sus4?
Rock and pop intros and turnarounds, gospel, and big ringing suspended-chord intros.