E♭ Suspended 4th Guitar Chord (E♭sus4)
E♭ suspended 4th is a three-note chord built from E♭ (the root), A♭ (the perfect fourth), and B♭ (the perfect fifth). It has the ringing, ambiguous color that folk and rock players love for decorating a plain major chord — lift one finger and it resolves. Below are 4 ways to play it in standard tuning, easiest shape first.
E♭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 3, your ring finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 4, and your pinky finger on the high E (1st) string at fret 4. Keep the low E (6th) and A (5th) strings out of the strum — start your downstroke from the D (4th) 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 | E♭ |
| 4 | perfect fourth | A♭ |
| 5 | perfect fifth | B♭ |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see E♭sus4 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More E♭ chords
Nearby suspended 4th chords
E♭sus4 FAQ
What notes are in E♭sus4?
E♭sus4 contains E♭, A♭, and B♭ — the root (E♭), the perfect fourth, and the perfect fifth.
Is E♭sus4 a barre chord?
Not necessarily. The easiest E♭sus4 shape (x-x-1-3-4-4) needs no barre — it uses 4 fingers. Barre versions exist too, starting at fret 6, and are handy when you want to move the same grip to other keys.
What is the easiest way to play E♭sus4 on guitar?
Start with the 1fr shape x-x-1-3-4-4. Place your index finger on the D (4th) string at fret 1, your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 3, your ring finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 4, and your pinky finger on the high E (1st) string at fret 4. Keep the low E (6th) and A (5th) strings out of the strum — start your downstroke from the D (4th) string.