A♭7sus4
Character: floating tension
- A♭Rtriad
- D♭4triad
- E♭5triad
- G♭♭7add
14 ways to play A♭7sus4
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets x 11 11 11 9 9Notes D♭ G♭ A♭Intervals 4 ♭7 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 11 11 11 x xNotes A♭ D♭ G♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 11 11 11 11 x xNotes E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭Intervals 5 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 1 1 2 2Notes E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭Intervals 5 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 4 1 2 xNotes G♭ A♭ D♭Intervals ♭7 1 4
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 2 4 1 1 x xNotes G♭ D♭ E♭ A♭Intervals ♭7 4 5 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 4 4 4 x x xNotes A♭ D♭ G♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 4 4 6 6 7 4Notes D♭ G♭ A♭Intervals 4 ♭7 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 4 6 4 4Notes G♭ D♭ E♭ A♭Intervals ♭7 4 5 1
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 6 6 7 xNotes A♭ D♭ G♭Intervals 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 6 6 6 7 xNotes E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭Intervals 5 1 4 ♭7
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 4 6 4 6 x xNotes A♭ E♭ G♭ D♭Intervals 1 5 ♭7 4
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x x x 11 9 9Notes G♭ A♭ D♭Intervals ♭7 1 4
The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 6 8 7 9Notes A♭ E♭ G♭ D♭Intervals 1 5 ♭7 4
The root drops to the string below the triad. The 4th takes the 3rd’s string. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
The construction rules A♭7sus4 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
Sus chords replace the 3rd
A 2nd or a 4th takes the 3rd’s place, so the chord is neither major nor minor and wants to resolve. 7sus4 keeps the ♭7 for a dominant without its 3rd.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Dominant 7th suspended 4th in every key
More chords on A♭
A♭7sus4 chord questions
What notes are in A♭7sus4?
A♭7sus4 is spelled A♭ D♭ E♭ G♭: A♭ is the root, D♭ is the 4th, E♭ is the 5th, G♭ is the ♭7th.
What is the formula of A♭7sus4?
1 4 5 ♭7. It is a A♭ sus4 triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play A♭7sus4 on guitar?
This page shows 14 voicings of A♭7sus4, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.