A♭sus4 chord on piano
A♭sus4 is A♭, D♭ and E♭. A♭ is the middle black key of the three. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · A♭–D♭–E♭ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- A♭ · D♭ · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
How to play A♭sus4 on piano
From A♭, go 5 half steps up to D♭ then 2 half steps up to E♭. Those 3 keys are A♭sus4.
- Right hand: 1 on A♭, 3 on D♭ and 5 on E♭.
- Left hand: 5 on A♭, 3 on D♭ and 1 on E♭.
- On the keyboard it's black, black and black keys, the same pattern as C♯sus4 and E♭sus4, so your hand shape carries over.
A♭sus4 inversions
- root position: A♭–D♭–E♭. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: D♭–E♭–A♭, with D♭ at the bottom. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: E♭–A♭–D♭, with E♭ at the bottom. Right hand 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let A♭sus4 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Changing from A♭sus4 to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold A♭sus4 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A♭ (resolves down to the third): A♭sus4 to A♭: play A♭ in root position (A♭–C–E♭) and A♭ and E♭ stay under the same fingers, while D♭ moves down to C. A♭ on piano
- C♯ (IV in A♭ major): A♭sus4 to C♯: play C♯ in 2nd inversion (G♯–C♯–E♯) and G♯ and C♯ stay under the same fingers, while E♭ moves up to E♯. C♯ on piano
- E♭ (V in A♭ major): A♭sus4 to E♭: play E♭ in 1st inversion (G–B♭–E♭) and E♭ stays under the same finger, while A♭ moves down to G and D♭ down to B♭. E♭ on piano
A♭sus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. A♭sus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into A♭ or A♭m to resolve. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Getting A♭sus4 under your fingers
Roll the chord up and back down, A♭, D♭, E♭, D♭, A♭, before playing it as a block. Then climb the inversions: A♭–D♭–E♭, then D♭–E♭–A♭, then E♭–A♭–D♭.
The keys of A♭sus4
A♭sus4 is a suspended fourth chord, 1–4–5 from A♭. Root position, from the bottom: how A♭sus4 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| D♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | perfect fourth |
| E♭ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
You may also see it as G♯sus4; nothing changes on the piano.
Keys and progressions with A♭sus4
A♭sus4 on guitar and ukulele
A♭sus4 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related A♭ chords on piano
Other suspended fourth chords
A♭sus4 on piano: questions
What notes are in A♭sus4 on piano?
A♭, D♭ and E♭: A♭ (black key), D♭ (black key) and E♭ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play A♭sus4 on piano?
Press A♭, D♭ and E♭ together, all black keys. Right hand: 1 on A♭, 3 on D♭ and 5 on E♭.
What are the inversions of A♭sus4?
1st inversion (D♭–E♭–A♭) and 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–D♭), after root position (A♭–D♭–E♭). Only the lowest note changes.
What does A♭sus4 look like on the keyboard?
black, black and black keys, the same pattern as C♯sus4 and E♭sus4, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only A♭, D♭ and E♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.