How do you play the Ab sus(#4)/C chord?

To play the Ab sus(#4)/C chord on piano, play the Ab sus(#4) chord (Ab, D and Eb) with C as the lowest bass note. Place the C note below the other chord tones. Slash chords specify a particular bass note different from the chord root.

What is a slash chord?

A slash chord (or compound chord) is written as Chord/Bass and specifies both a chord and a bass note. The note to the right of the slash is played as the lowest note. The Ab sus(#4)/C chord means a Ab sus(#4) chord with C in the bass.

Ab sus(#4)/C

Q: What notes are in the Ab sus(#4)/C chord?

The Ab sus(#4)/C chord uses the 3 notes of the Ab sus(#4) chord — Ab (Perfect unison), D (Diminished fifth) and Eb (Perfect fifth) — with C played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Ab sus(#4) chord consists of the Ab (Perfect unison), D (Diminished fifth) and Eb (Perfect fifth) notes, with C as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Ab sus(#4)/C chord

How to play the Ab sus(#4)/C chord

Play C as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find Ab (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add D (Diminished fifth) — 6 semitones above Ab
Add Eb (Perfect fifth) — 7 semitones above Ab
Press all 4 notes simultaneously to sound the Ab sus(#4)/C chord

Related slash chords

D Viennese trichord/C