How do you play the Ab sus4/C chord?

To play the Ab sus4/C chord on piano, play the Ab sus4 chord (Ab, Db 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 sus4/C chord means a Ab sus4 chord with C in the bass.

Ab sus4/C

Q: What notes are in the Ab sus4/C chord?

The Ab sus4/C chord uses the 3 notes of the Ab sus4 chord — Ab (Perfect unison), Db (Perfect fourth) and Eb (Perfect fifth) — with C played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Ab sus4 chord consists of the Ab (Perfect unison), Db (Perfect fourth) and Eb (Perfect fifth) notes, with C as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Ab sus4/C chord

How to play the Ab sus4/C chord

Play C as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find Ab (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add Db (Perfect fourth) — 5 semitones above Ab
Add Eb (Perfect fifth) — 7 semitones above Ab
Press all 4 notes simultaneously to sound the Ab sus4/C chord

Related chords with different root

Db maj7(sus2)
Db maj9(sus2)
Ab add11

Related slash chords

Db sus2/C
Db 5(add9)/C
Eb 11(sus4)/C