G# Suspended 4th (G#sus4)

Also written as Ab Suspended 4th (Ab and G# are the same key).

1+4+5
G#C#D#
4 4
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Notes in G# Suspended 4th

G# (root)C#D#

Inversions

Same notes as G# Suspended 4th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G# in the bass

G#C#D#

1st inversion

C# in the bass

C#D#G#

2nd inversion

D# in the bass

D#G#C#

The notes G#, C# and D# make up G# Suspended 4th.

The other suspension raises the missing third up to a perfect fourth, which sits a half step above where the third would normally be. That closeness creates real tension, and it's why a sus4 chord so often falls straight back down into the plain major or minor triad on the same root a beat later.

Difficulty: Beginner. Category: Triads. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.