D♯sus4: D♯/E♭ Suspended 4th Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	D♯, G♯, A♯	1-3-5
Left	D♯, G♯, A♯	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	D♯	Perfect unison	0
4	G♯	Perfect fourth	5
5	A♯	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

D♯ Suspended 4th = Root + Perfect 4th + Perfect 5th = D♯, G♯, A♯

Note	Interval	Degree
D♯	Root	1
G♯	Perfect 4th	4
A♯	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
D♯	black	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
G♯	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
A♯	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on D♯, middle finger (3) on G♯, little finger (5) on A♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on D♯, middle finger (3) on G♯, thumb (1) on A♯.

D♯ Suspended 4th Inversions

Root position
D♯ – G♯ – A♯
1st inversion (D♯sus4/G♯)
G♯ – A♯ – D♯
2nd inversion (D♯sus4/A♯)
A♯ – D♯ – G♯

Key Signature

A Suspended 4th chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of D♯ Major

These are the triads built on each degree of D♯ Major:

I — D♯ Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	D♯ Major	Major
2	ii	E♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	F♯♯ Minor	Minor
4	IV	G♯ Major	Major
5	V	A♯ Major	Major
6	vi	B♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	C♯♯ Diminished	Diminished

Scales That Include the D♯ Suspended 4th

B Major (iii)
F# Major (vi)
Db Major (ii)
Ab Major (V)
Eb Major (I)
G# Minor (v)
C Minor (III)
F Minor (VII)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes D♯ – G♯ – A♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

G♯ Suspended 2nd→

D♯ Suspended 4th : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in D♯sus4?

D♯sus4 contains D♯, G♯ and A♯. The formula is 1, 4, 5.

How do you play D♯sus4 on piano?

Play D♯, G♯ and A♯ together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. Every note is a black key.

What are the inversions of D♯sus4?

3 positions: root position D♯ G♯ A♯, D♯sus4/G♯, D♯sus4/A♯.

What is the difference between D♯sus4 and D♯7sus4?

Adds C♯. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy D♯sus4 for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, D♯3 G♯3, spans 5 semitones or about 69 mm.

What are the frequencies of D♯sus4?

From D♯3 at A440 in 12-TET: 155.56, 207.65, 233.08 Hz.

What is the set class of D♯sus4?

Prime form (027), Forte 3-9, interval vector <010020>.

How do I transpose D♯sus4 to another key?

Keep the 1, 4, 5 formula on the new root. Csus4 is C, F, G; C♯sus4 is C♯, F♯, G♯.

Is E♭sus4 the same as D♯sus4?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

D♯ Suspended 4th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	D♯3 G♯3 A♯3	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	G♯3 A♯3 D♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	A♯3 D♯4 G♯4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	D♯2 A♯2 G♯3	17	234 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	D♯3 G♯3	5	69 mm	omits A♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	D♯	D♯3, G♯3, A♯3	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: D♯sus4/G♯	G♯	G♯3, A♯3, D♯4	6/3	7	96 mm
Second inversion: D♯sus4/A♯	A♯	A♯3, D♯4, G♯4	6/4	10	138 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
D♯7sus4	adds C♯	1 4 5 ♭7	3
D♯	G♯ becomes F×	1 3 5	2
D♯m	G♯ becomes F♯	1 ♭3 5	2
D♯sus2	G♯ becomes E♯	1 2 5	2
D♯maj7	G♯ becomes F×, C×	1 3 5 7	2
D♯7	G♯ becomes F×, C♯	1 3 5 ♭7	2
D♯m7	G♯ becomes F♯, C♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
D♯mMaj7	G♯ becomes F♯, C×	1 ♭3 5 7	2
D♯6	G♯ becomes F×, B♯	1 3 5 6	2
D♯m6	G♯ becomes F♯, B♯	1 ♭3 5 6	2
D♯add9	G♯ becomes F×, E♯	1 3 5 9	2
D♯dim	G♯, A♯ becomes F♯, A	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
D♯3	51	155.56 Hz
G♯3	56	207.65 Hz
A♯3	58	233.08 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {3, 8, 10}
Normal order: [8, 10, 3]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
D♯ to G♯	Perfect fourth	5	5
D♯ to A♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
G♯ to A♯	Major second	2	2

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a suspended 4th applied to the root D♯, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

D♯ Suspended 4th

Fingerings

D♯ Suspended 4th: notes and degrees