E♭sus4 chord on piano
E♭sus4 is E♭, A♭ and B♭. E♭ sits on the black key between D and E. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · E♭–A♭–B♭ · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E♭ · A♭ · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
How to play E♭sus4 on piano
Start on E♭, count 5 half steps up to A♭ then 2 half steps up to B♭. That's the whole chord: 3 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on E♭, 3 on A♭ and 5 on B♭.
- Left hand: 5 on E♭, 3 on A♭ and 1 on B♭.
- On the keyboard it's black, black and black keys, the same pattern as C♯sus4 and A♭sus4, so your hand shape carries over.
E♭sus4 inversions
- root position: E♭–A♭–B♭. Fingers 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A♭–B♭–E♭ (A♭ in the bass). RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: B♭–E♭–A♭ (B♭ in the bass). Right hand 1-3-5.
Use the inversions to stay put: the next chord is often one inversion away from where your hand already is, as the changes below show.
Moving between E♭sus4 and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold E♭sus4 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- E♭ (resolves down to the third): E♭sus4 to E♭: play E♭ in root position (E♭–G–B♭) and E♭ and B♭ stay under the same fingers, while A♭ moves down to G. E♭ on piano
- A♭ (IV in E♭ major): E♭sus4 to A♭: play A♭ in 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–C) and E♭ and A♭ stay under the same fingers, while B♭ moves up to C. A♭ on piano
- B♭ (V in E♭ major): E♭sus4 to B♭: play B♭ in 1st inversion (D–F–B♭) and B♭ stays under the same finger, while E♭ moves down to D and A♭ down to F. B♭ on piano
E♭sus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. E♭sus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into E♭ or E♭m to resolve. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
Getting E♭sus4 under your fingers
Play E♭sus4 broken, one key at a time: E♭, A♭, B♭, A♭, E♭. Then press the keys together and check that all 3 sound at the same volume. Next, walk up through E♭–A♭–B♭ → A♭–B♭–E♭ → B♭–E♭–A♭ without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of E♭sus4
E♭sus4 is a suspended fourth chord, 1–4–5 from E♭. Root position, from the bottom: how E♭sus4 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | perfect fourth |
| B♭ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
Written D♯sus4, it's the same chord with the same keys.
Where E♭sus4 shows up
E♭sus4 on guitar and ukulele
The same notes on another instrument: E♭sus4 on guitar and E♭sus4 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.
Close to E♭sus4
Other suspended fourth chords
E♭sus4 on piano: questions
What notes are in E♭sus4 on piano?
E♭, A♭ and B♭: E♭ (black key), A♭ (black key) and B♭ (black key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play E♭sus4 on piano?
Press E♭, A♭ and B♭ together, all black keys. Right hand: 1 on E♭, 3 on A♭ and 5 on B♭.
What are the inversions of E♭sus4?
1st inversion (A♭–B♭–E♭) and 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–A♭), after root position (E♭–A♭–B♭). Only the lowest note changes.
What does E♭sus4 look like on the keyboard?
black, black and black keys, the same pattern as C♯sus4 and A♭sus4, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside E♭sus4. Updated September 2026.