A♭ sus4 (A♭sus4) chord on mandolin

Sus4 chord (a perfect fourth instead of the third) on A♭: the notes of the A♭sus4 chord are A♭ – D♭ – E♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ sus4 (G♯sus4).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4medium

Position 8medium

Position 6medium

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Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the A♭sus4 chord sounds like

In a sus4 chord a perfect fourth replaces the third. The fourth is 'suspended' and usually resolves down to the third (sus4 → major), a classic move at cadences.

Notes of the A♭sus4 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
4	D♭	perfect fourth (5 semitones)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 1

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

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

Position 4

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

Position 8

String 1 (E): fret 11, little finger (E♭6)
String 2 (A): fret 11, little finger (A♭5)
String 3 (D): fret 11, little finger (D♭5)
String 4 (G): fret 8, index finger (E♭4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

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

A♭ major: Isus4 (tonic)
D♭ major: Vsus4 (dominant)
E♭ minor: IVsus4 (subdominant)
G♭ major: IIsus4
B♭ minor: VIIsus4
F minor: IIIsus4

Similar chords and substitutes

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

Substitutes (by function)

A♭ – resolves the suspension to major
A♭m – or to minor

Same notes

C♯sus2 – the same notes with a different root

Richer versions

A♭7sus4 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A♭11 – the same chord plus 3 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭sus4 chord?

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

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

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

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.

How is the A♭sus4 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭sus4 (also written Absus4), and its full name is A♭ sus4.