A♭ 7sus4 (A♭7sus4) chord on guitar

Looking for the A♭7sus4 chord on guitar? It is a 7sus4 chord (a sus4 chord plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: A♭ – D♭ – E♭ – G♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ 7sus4 (G♯7sus4).

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

G shape, fret 1medium

E shape, fret 4medium

Position 4medium

D shape, fret 6medium

A shape, fret 11hard

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the A♭7sus4 chord sounds like

A 7sus4 is a suspended dominant seventh: a fourth replaces the third. It is less tense than a plain 7 chord and popular in funk, jazz and modern pop.

Notes of the A♭7sus4 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
4	D♭	perfect fourth (5 semitones)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	G♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version

String 1 (e): fret 2, ring finger (G♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, middle finger (D♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

G shape, fret 1, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): fret 2, middle finger (G♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 2, middle finger (D♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (E♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 4, little finger (D♭3)
String 6 (E): fret 4, little finger (A♭2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

E shape, fret 4, barre at fret 4

String 1 (e): fret 4, index finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, index finger (E♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, little finger (D♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (G♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 6, ring finger (E♭3)
String 6 (E): fret 4, index finger (A♭2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 4; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing A♭7sus4 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a A♭7sus4 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 1
shape: G7sus4

Capo: fret 4
shape: E7sus4

Capo: fret 6
shape: D7sus4

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The A♭7sus4 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D♭ major: V7sus4 (dominant)
E♭ minor: IV7sus4 (subdominant)
G♭ major: II7sus4
B♭ minor: VII7sus4

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭7sus4 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

D7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Cdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
A♭7 – a simpler dominant
C♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

A♭sus4 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
A♭5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

A♭11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭7sus4 chord?

A♭, D♭, E♭, G♭. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play A♭7sus4 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a G7sus4 shape at fret 1 or a E7sus4 shape at fret 4.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some A♭7sus4 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (E♭) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the A♭7sus4 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭7sus4 (also written Ab7sus4), and its full name is A♭ 7sus4.