A♭ Suspended 4th Guitar Chord (A♭sus4)
A♭ suspended 4th is a three-note chord built from A♭ (the root), D♭ (the perfect fourth), and E♭ (the perfect fifth). It is pure anticipation. With no third in the chord it commits to neither happy nor sad — it just leans forward, waiting to resolve. Below are 4 ways to play it in standard tuning, easiest shape first.
A♭sus4 chord shapes — standard tuning
How to play it
Place your index finger on the D (4th) string at fret 1, your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 1, your ring finger on the low E (6th) string at fret 4, and your pinky finger on the A (5th) string at fret 4. Keep the B (2nd) and high E (1st) strings out of the strum — start your downstroke from the low E (6th) string.
Once that shape is comfortable, try the other 3 voicings above — same notes, different neck positions and textures.
Notes in this chord
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | A♭ |
| 4 | perfect fourth | D♭ |
| 5 | perfect fifth | E♭ |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see A♭sus4 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More A♭ chords
Nearby suspended 4th chords
A♭sus4 FAQ
What notes are in A♭sus4?
A♭sus4 contains A♭, D♭, and E♭ — the root (A♭), the perfect fourth, and the perfect fifth.
Is A♭sus4 a barre chord?
Not necessarily. The easiest A♭sus4 shape (4-4-1-1-x-x) needs no barre — it uses 4 fingers. Barre versions exist too, starting at fret 4, and are handy when you want to move the same grip to other keys.
What is the easiest way to play A♭sus4 on guitar?
Start with the 1fr shape 4-4-1-1-x-x. Place your index finger on the D (4th) string at fret 1, your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 1, your ring finger on the low E (6th) string at fret 4, and your pinky finger on the A (5th) string at fret 4. Keep the B (2nd) and high E (1st) strings out of the strum — start your downstroke from the low E (6th) string.