How do you play the D sus4/Ab chord?

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

D sus4/Ab

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

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

The D sus4 chord consists of the D (Perfect unison), G (Perfect fourth) and A (Perfect fifth) notes, with Ab as the bass note.

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

How to play the D sus4/Ab chord

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

Related slash chords

G sus2/Ab
G 5(add9)/Ab
A 11(sus4)/G#