Db Suspended 4th
Dbsus4
Notes
Db · Gb · Ab
Intervals
- RootDb (1P)
- Perfect 4thGb (4P)
- Perfect 5thAb (5P)
Fretboard
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About
The D♭sus4 chord (D♭–G♭–A♭) also replaces the third — this time with a perfect fourth. The fourth has a stronger gravitational pull than the second; in common-practice harmony it traditionally resolves downward to the third, making sus4 feel more like a delayed resolution than a neutral color. This makes it effective for rhythmic tension and release, especially in rock and gospel. The G♭ typically resolves to either D♭ (third raised) or D♭m (third lowered). On guitar the modification is often a single-finger addition or movement from a major shape; the fourth is the defining tone and must be present. Compared to D♭sus2, sus4 has a clearer sense of wanting to land somewhere.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- D♭ Blues (deg 1)
- D♭ Diminished (deg 1)
- D♭ Harmonic Minor (I)
- D♭ Major (I)
- D♭ Melodic Minor (I)
- D♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- D♭ Natural Minor (I)
- A Major (III)
- A♭ Blues (deg 3)
- A♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 3)
- A♭ Natural Minor (IV)
- B Major (II)
- B Major Pentatonic (deg 2)
- B Melodic Minor (II)
- B♭ Natural Minor (III)
- E Major (VI)
- E Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- E♭ Blues (deg 6)
- E♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 5)
- E♭ Natural Minor (VII)
- F♯ Harmonic Minor (V)
- F♯ Major (V)
- F♯ Major Pentatonic (deg 4)
- F♯ Melodic Minor (V)
- F♯ Natural Minor (V)
- D♭ Dorian (I)
- D♭ Locrian (I)
- D♭ Mixolydian (I)
- D♭ Phrygian (I)
- A Lydian (III)
- A♭ Dorian (IV)
- A♭ Locrian (IV)
- A♭ Mixolydian (IV)
- A♭ Phrygian (IV)
- B Dorian (II)
- B Lydian (II)
- B Mixolydian (II)
- B♭ Locrian (III)
- B♭ Phrygian (III)
- C Locrian (II)
- D Lydian (VII)
- E Lydian (VI)
- E Mixolydian (VI)
- E♭ Dorian (VII)
- E♭ Locrian (VII)
- E♭ Phrygian (VII)
- F Locrian (VI)
- F Phrygian (VI)
- F♯ Dorian (V)
- F♯ Lydian (V)
- F♯ Mixolydian (V)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. Roman numeral marks the chord root’s position in the scale; dashed badges aren’t linked yet.