Also written B♭7sus4, B♭ or B♭ Dominant 7th Suspended 4th
B♭ 7th suspended 4th contains B♭, E♭, F, and A♭. The 6th-fret shape demands a wide stretch, and the 1st-fret inversion requires a full barre.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th between B♭ and E♭ creates the suspended sound, while the minor 7th A♭ adds tension. Compare it to B♭ suspended 4th, which has only three notes.
B♭ 7th suspended 4th functions as the V chord in E♭ major, heard in the I–IV–V–I progression E♭ major–A♭ major–B♭ major–E♭ major. It fits blues and rock bass lines that need a suspended dominant. Compare it to B♭ minor to hear the difference between a suspended dominant and a minor chord.
The 6th-fret shape keeps B♭ in the bass for a strong root position. The B♭7sus4/F inversion at the 1st fret puts F in the bass, which gives a softer, less grounded feel.
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 6 8: index finger on the E string at fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Tip — The 1st-fret inversion requires barring all four strings cleanly while keeping the bass note F clear.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (5) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 3 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 13th fret as 13 13 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 3 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is written B♭7sus4, and the root is also spelled Bb in ASCII. It is also known as Dominant 7th Suspended 4th. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Yes, the 6th-fret shape uses individual fingers. The 1st-fret inversion requires a barre across all four strings.
Keeping the barre even so every string rings clearly. The bass note F must sound cleanly without buzzing.