As a suspended dominantA♭ major
A suspended dominant: the fourth hangs over the chord, then drops into the third.
E♭7sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♭7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord built on the root note E♭. Its notes are E♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♯7sus4.
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Quality
Short answer
Dominant seventh sus4 chords hold the tension of a dominant without committing to major or minor. The fourth hangs where the third would be, which is why they open so many gospel, soul and funk vamps.
- Notes
- E♭ · A♭ · B♭ · D♭
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7 · 10
- Note
- E♭
- Quality
- Dominant 7 sus4
- Symbol
- E♭7sus4
E♭7sus4 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E♭7sus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E♭, index finger on A♭, middle finger on B♭ and little finger on D♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of E♭7sus4 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♭1
- A♭4
- B♭5
- D♭♭7
E♭7sus4 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♭7sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Don't play strings 6 and 5.
E♭ · A♭ · B♭ · D♭
Play E♭7sus4 on the online piano
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E♭7sus4 chord notes
Also known as D♯7sus4
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | A♭(Ab) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♭(Bb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D♭(Db) |
How to use the E♭7sus4 chord
The E♭7sus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root E♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant seventh sus4 chords act as a V chord that delays its own resolution, often falling to a plain dominant seventh a beat later. Gospel, soul, funk and seventies rock use them constantly.
How E♭7sus4 differs from similar chords
E♭7sus4 is E♭7 with the third replaced by a perfect fourth, so the tritone that makes a dominant pull is gone. Unlike E♭sus4, it keeps the minor seventh, which still points towards the next chord. That is why it so often resolves to a plain E♭7 before moving on.
Where E♭7sus4 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E♭7sus4 chord?
- The E♭7sus4 chord contains E♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭ (Eb, Ab, Bb and Db in plain text).
- Is the E♭7sus4 chord major or minor?
- E♭7sus4 is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord. Dominant seventh sus4 chords hold the tension of a dominant without committing to major or minor. The fourth hangs where the third would be, which is why they open so many gospel, soul and funk vamps.
- How do you play E♭7sus4 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E♭, A♭, B♭ and D♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of E♭7sus4 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play E♭7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. Don't play strings 6 and 5.
- What is another name for the E♭7sus4 chord?
- E♭7sus4 is enharmonically equivalent to D♯7sus4. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.