D♭ sus4 chord (D♭sus4)

D♭ sus4 is a 3-note sus4 chord: D♭ – G♭ – A♭. It sounds suspended, eager to return to the major chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called C♯ sus4 (C♯sus4).

NotesD♭ – G♭ – A♭
Formula1 – 4 – 5
SymbolD♭sus4 · D♭sus
EnharmonicC♯ sus4 (C♯sus4)

D♭ sus4 on guitar

Barre at fret 4 (A shape)
Barre at fret 9 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 4)

Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string.
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 6 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 6 of the 3rd string (G).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 7 of the 2nd string (B).
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (D♭). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

D♭ sus4 on piano

In root position, play D♭ – G♭ – A♭ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand (thumb, middle and pinky). With your left hand you usually play just the root (D♭) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: G♭ – A♭ – D♭
Second inversion: A♭ – D♭ – G♭

D♭ sus4 on ukulele

From fret 1
From fret 4

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of D♭ sus4

D♭1 · root
G♭4 · perfect fourth
A♭5 · perfect fifth

It usually resolves to the major chord with the same root (Xsus4 → X): a classic embellishment in strumming and endings.

Progressions with D♭sus4

Suspend and resolve: Isus4 – I

D♭sus4 usually resolves to D♭: you change just one note and the chord “settles”.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the D♭ suspended 4 chord?

D♭ suspended 4th (D♭sus4) has 3 notes: D♭ (root), G♭ (perfect fourth), A♭ (perfect fifth).

How do you play D♭ suspended 4 on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 4: x 4 6 6 7 4 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string. Finger 2 (middle) on fret 6 of the 4th string (D). Finger 3 (ring) on fret 6 of the 3rd string (G). Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 7 of the 2nd string (B). Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

Is D♭sus4 the same as C♯sus4?

Yes: D♭ suspended 4 and C♯ suspended 4 sound the same and are played the same way (they are enharmonic). The spelling depends on the key of the song; you will see both names in sheet music and songbooks.

How do you write D♭ suspended 4 as a chord symbol?

It is written D♭sus4; you will also see D♭sus. Chord notation uses letter names: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.

Want to play whole songs?

A teacher shows you how to change chords smoothly, strum and play along to your favorite songs, in online lessons or at home in Bogotá.

Message us on WhatsApp See lessons