G# or A♭ Sus4
4th Fret · E-Shape BarreMoveable E-shape sus4 rooted on G# at fret 4 — index barres all six strings at fret 4, ring and pinky add the 4th on the D and G strings at fret 6. Root G# is on the low E string. Fully moveable to any root.
G# or A♭ Sus4
11th Fret · A-Shape BarreMoveable A-shape sus4 rooted on G# at fret 11 — index barres fret 11 from the A string up, ring and pinky add D# and G# at fret 13, pinky reaches C# on the B string at fret 14. Mute the low E.
G# or A♭ Sus4
Top-Four-String VoicingA compact voicing on the top four strings — G# on the D string at fret 6, C# on the G string at fret 6, index across the B and high e strings at fret 4 (D# and G#). Strum only the top four strings.
Spell it as A♭sus4 in flat keys
In written music this chord usually appears as A♭sus4. The shapes and sound are identical — only the name changes with the key.
No open strings
G#sus4 has no open-string voicing in standard tuning, so every shape is fretted. The E-shape barre at fret 4 is the most dependable starting point.
Use it as a moveable shape
The 4-4-6-6-4-4 E-shape barre is fully moveable — slide it down a fret for Gsus4 or up a fret for Asus4.
Resolve to the major chord
G#sus4 wants to fall back to G# major. Practising G# → G#sus4 → G# trains your ear to hear the suspension release.
Try the partial shape
When a full barre is awkward, the x-x-6-6-4-4 top-four voicing gives you the same chord with less stretch.
About the G#sus4 Chord on Guitar
The G#sus4 chord is built from three notes: G# (the root), C# (the perfect 4th), and D# (the perfect 5th). It is a G# major triad with the 3rd suspended — the B# is replaced by the C# a half step above it — so it sounds tense and unresolved rather than clearly major. Because none of its notes line up with open guitar strings, every G#sus4 voicing is fretted, which makes it good practice for moveable shapes. G#sus4 is enharmonically identical to A♭sus4 — same pitch, same shapes, different spelling depending on the key. This page covers three voicings: a moveable E-shape barre, an A-shape barre, and a top-four-string form. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 G#sus4 or A♭sus4 chord shapes from intermediate to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Moveable E-shape barre, A-shape barre, and a top-four-string voicing
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 3 notes that form the G# or A♭ Sus4 chord and their role in the major scale.
Every major chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth.