Arpeggio
A♭ sus4
Sus
- Formula
- 1 4 5
- Notes
- A♭ D♭ E♭
Notation
Fretboard — frets 0–24
Degrees
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A♭ | perfect unison | 0 | The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves. |
| 4 | D♭ | perfect fourth | 5 | The perfect fourth — stable yet suspended; in sus4 it takes the third's place and leaves the chord hanging. |
| 5 | E♭ | perfect fifth | 7 | The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality. |
About this arpeggio
The suspended fourth chord replaces the third with the fourth, creating a root, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth. The fourth sits directly above the fifth and wants to fall a half-step to the third, so the chord sounds like a question waiting for its answer. Rock, gospel and pop use it to delay resolution; jazz uses it to soften a dominant. Because there is no third, the quality is neither bright nor dark, which makes it a neutral bridge between major and minor. Arpeggiated, it trains the ear to hear the pull of a suspended note. Listen for the moment the fourth finally resolves.
How to practise this arpeggio
- Play the fourth and hold it, then resolve it down to the third.
- Loop the suspension over a rock groove and delay the resolution.
- Compare it with sus2 and hear the fourth's stronger pull.
- Use it to set up a major chord and land the resolution on the downbeat.