Chords
D# 9sus4
D# · G# · A# · C# · E#
D# 9sus4 (D#9sus4) is a other chord of 5 notes: D# · G# · A# · C# · E#.
Also written D#9sus
D# 9sus4
D# · G# · A# · C# · E#
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | D#3 · G#3 · A#3 · C#4 · E#4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | C#3 · D#3 · G#3 · A#3 · E#4 | |
| Shell | D#3 · G#3 · C#4 | |
| Rootless | G#3 · C#4 · E#4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
D# 9sus4 (D#9sus4) contains the notes D# · G# · A# · C# · E#, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of D# 9sus4 puts a chord tone other than D# in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales D# 9sus4 belongs to.
In which keys
D# 9sus4 is diatonic to 6 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- F# majorVI9sus4Tonic
- D# minorI9sus4Tonic
- Db majorII9sus4Subdominant
- Bb minorIV9sus4Subdominant
- Ab majorV9sus4Dominant
- F minorVII9sus4Subdominant
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
D# 9sus4 fits inside these scales, each built on D#.
- D# MinorD# · E# · F# · G# · A# · B · C#
- D# DorianD# · E# · F# · G# · A# · B# · C#
- D# PiongioD# · E# · G# · A# · B# · C#
Understanding the D# 9sus4 chord
Names and symbols
D#9sus4 is the chord symbol for D# 9sus4; it is also written D#9sus.
sus on its own means sus4, and 7sus means 7sus4. sus2 is sometimes written add9(no3), which names the same notes from another angle.
D# 9sus4 and Eb 9sus4 are the same sound spelled two ways; both have a page here, and each links to the other. Eb 9sus4
Common questions
- What notes are in the D# 9sus4 chord?
- The D# 9sus4 chord contains the notes D# · G# · A# · C# · E#: the root D# with the intervals 1P, 4P, 5P, 7m, 9M stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally D#, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the D# 9sus4 chord?
- Measured from D#, the D# 9sus4 chord stacks the intervals 1P, 4P, 5P, 7m, 9M. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the D# 9sus4 chord?
- On guitar the most common D# 9sus4 shape is x11121, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play D#3 · G#3 · A#3 · C#4 · E#4 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.