Absus4 Guitar Chord
Ab Sus4 · also written G#sus4 · Ab–Db–Eb
Absus4 is the Ab sus4 chord: Ab–Db–Eb. Its sound is tense and suspended — the 4th leans hard on the 3rd it displaced, begging to resolve. It's also written as G#sus4 — same notes, same shapes, different spelling.
Suspended chords are about motion: Absus4 usually resolves to plain Ab or Abm, and strumming between them is a songwriting trick you've heard in everything from The Who to Tom Petty. Because there's no 3rd, Absus4 works over both major and minor contexts in the key of Ab.
The most common way to play Absus4 is the suspended grip at the 4th fret (4 x 6 6 4 4, low E string to high E string). Below you'll find 3 ways to play it across the neck, from open position to barre and shell voicings, with the theory behind the chord and the progressions it lives in.
How to Play Absus4: 3 Voicings
Frets are listed from the low E string to the high E string. x = don't play that string, 0 = open string.
Absus4 Chord Theory
| Interval | R | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Note | Ab | Db | Eb |
Absus4 is built from the Ab major scale.
Absus4 Chord FAQ
What notes are in the Absus4 chord?
Absus4 contains 3 notes: Ab (R), Db (4), Eb (5). The interval formula for a sus4 chord is R–4–5.
What is the easiest way to play Absus4 on guitar?
Use the suspended grip at the 4th fret: 4 x 6 6 4 4 (frets listed from the low E string to the high E string, x = don't play that string). Absus4 has no open-position shape in standard tuning, so this movable form is the standard starting point.
Is Absus4 a major or minor chord?
Neither — Absus4 has no 3rd, the note that decides major versus minor. That ambiguity is exactly why it's useful: it fits over both major and minor harmony.
Is Absus4 the same as G#sus4?
Yes. Ab and G# are enharmonic equivalents — the same pitch written two ways. Absus4 and G#sus4 use identical shapes and frets; which spelling you see depends on the key of the song.
What keys use the Absus4 chord?
Absus4 appears diatonically in Ab major (as I), Eb major (as IV), and Db major (as V) — plus F minor, its relative minor key.
Related Chords
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