Eb9sus4: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios
Eb9sus4 (9sus4) is an interactive GuitarArcanum page with chord formula, intervals, voicings, inversions, triads, pentatonic patterns, scales and arpeggios on the fretboard.
Chord formula
Interval formula: 1 4 5 b7 9. A dominant with the 4th in place of the 3rd and a 9th added — an open, floating sound with no bite, since there's no 3rd.
Chord tones
The 4th replaces the 3rd, so there's no tritone and the chord sounds soft and open. The b7 and 9th give it jazz fullness.
Sound character
Open, floating and unresolved — the sound of fusion and modal jazz, like 'Maiden Voyage' and early Herbie Hancock.
Harmonic function
A soft dominant, or a stable chord in its own right. With no 3rd the pull is weaker, so it often just hangs.
Typical progressions
- Bb9sus4 → C
- Eb9sus4 (modal vamp)
- Bb9sus4 – Bb9 (releasing the suspension)
Guitar voicing advice
An easy shape is a Bb triad over a C bass (Bb/C). With the root on the 5th string, stack 4 – b7 – 9 on top.
Compatible scales for Eb9sus4
Other chord qualities on the Eb root
Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.
- Eb (Major)
- Ebm (Minor)
- Ebdim (Diminished)
- Ebaug (Augmented)
- Ebsus4 (Sus4)
- Eb6 (Maj6)
- Ebmaj7 (Major 7)
- Ebmaj7b5 (Maj7b5)
- Ebmaj7sus4 (Maj7sus4)
- Ebmaj7#11 (Maj7#11)
- Ebm6 (Min6)
- Ebm7 (Minor 7)
- Ebmmaj7 (MinMaj7)
- Eb7 (Dominant 7)
- Eb7b5 (Dom7b5)
- Eb7sus4 (Dom7sus4)
- Eb7#11 (Dom7#11)
- Ebm7b5 (m7b5)
- Ebdim7 (Dim7)
- Ebdimmaj7 (DimMaj7)
- Ebdimmaj7b13 (DimMaj7b13)
- Ebaugmaj7 (AugMaj7)
- Ebaug7 (Aug7)
- Eb9 (9)
- Ebmaj9 (maj9)
- Ebm9 (m9)
- Ebadd9 (add9)
- Eb7b9 (7b9)
- Eb7#9 (7#9)
- Eb6/9 (6/9)
- Ebm6/9 (m6/9)
- Ebmmaj9 (m(maj9))
- Eb9b5 (9b5)
- Eb9#5 (9#5)
- Ebmadd9 (madd9)
- Eb7b9#9 (7b9#9)
- Ebsus2 (sus2)
- Eb11 (11)
- Ebmaj11 (maj11)
- Ebm11 (m11)
- Eb13 (13)
- Ebmaj13 (maj13)
- Ebm13 (m13)
- Eb7b13 (7b13)
- Eb13#11 (13#11)
- Eb7alt (7alt)