A♭ 7sus4 (A♭7sus4) chord on piano

Looking for the A♭7sus4 chord on piano? 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).

Root position: A♭3 – D♭4 – E♭4 – G♭4

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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)
7	G♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)

Root position and inversions

An inversion uses the same notes, with a different note at the bottom. When you change chords, choosing the nearest inversion keeps your hand almost still.

Root position

A♭3 – D♭4 – E♭4 – G♭4

1st inversion

D♭4 – E♭4 – G♭4 – A♭4

2nd inversion

E♭4 – G♭4 – A♭4 – D♭5

3rd inversion

G♭4 – A♭4 – D♭5 – E♭5

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

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.

How do I play the A♭7sus4 chord on piano?

In root position, the right hand usually plays with fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb, middle finger, little finger); four-note chords with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5. The left hand mirrors this: 5, 3, 1. In an inversion the top or bottom note moves to the other side, so your hand moves less when you change chords.

How is the A♭7sus4 chord written?

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