How do you play the Ab sus4/Db chord?

To play the Ab sus4/Db chord on piano, play the Ab sus4 chord (Ab, Db and Eb) with Db as the lowest bass note. Place the Db 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/Db chord means a Ab sus4 chord with Db in the bass.

Ab sus4/Db

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

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

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

How to play the Ab sus4/Db chord

Play Db 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/Db chord

Inversions with same root

Db sus2
Db 5(add9)

Related chords with different root

Eb 11(sus4)
Ab sus4

Related slash chords

Ab 5/Db