Ab Suspended 4th 7th
Ab7sus4
Notes
Ab · Db · Eb · Gb
Intervals
- RootAb (1P)
- Perfect 4thDb (4P)
- Perfect 5thEb (5P)
- Minor 7thGb (7m)
Fretboard
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About
The A♭7sus4 (A♭–D♭–E♭–G♭) combines dominant function with suspended ambiguity. The D♭ replaces the third, delaying the chord’s major/minor identity, while the G♭ signals dominant territory. Resolution typically happens in one of two ways: the 4th resolves down to the 3rd, producing a standard A♭7; or the chord resolves directly to the tonic (D♭), skipping the third entirely. The 4th and ♭7 are both essential — the 4th is the suspension, the ♭7 the dominant weight. The 5th can be omitted. Compared to plain A♭sus4, 7sus4 has clear harmonic direction; compared to A♭7, it is less declarative.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- A♭ Blues (deg 1)
- A♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- A♭ Natural Minor (I)
- B Major (VI)
- B Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- B♭ Natural Minor (VII)
- D♭ Diminished (deg 5)
- D♭ Harmonic Minor (V)
- D♭ Major (V)
- D♭ Melodic Minor (V)
- D♭ Natural Minor (V)
- E Major (III)
- E♭ Blues (deg 3)
- E♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 3)
- E♭ Natural Minor (IV)
- F♯ Major (II)
- F♯ Major Pentatonic (deg 2)
- F♯ Melodic Minor (II)
- A♭ Dorian (I)
- A♭ Locrian (I)
- A♭ Mixolydian (I)
- A♭ Phrygian (I)
- A Lydian (VII)
- B Lydian (VI)
- B Mixolydian (VI)
- B♭ Locrian (VII)
- B♭ Phrygian (VII)
- C Locrian (VI)
- D♭ Dorian (V)
- D♭ Locrian (V)
- D♭ Mixolydian (V)
- D♭ Phrygian (V)
- E Lydian (III)
- E♭ Dorian (IV)
- E♭ Locrian (IV)
- E♭ Phrygian (IV)
- F Locrian (III)
- F Phrygian (III)
- F♯ Dorian (II)
- F♯ Lydian (II)
- F♯ Mixolydian (II)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. Roman numeral marks the chord root’s position in the scale; dashed badges aren’t linked yet.