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B♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar (B♭7sus4)
Also called or written B♭7sus4, B♭ or B♭ Dominant 7th Suspended 4th
B♭ 7th suspended 4th contains B♭, E♭, F and A♭. The default voicing is a full six-string barre at the 6th fret, with the pinky stretching to the 8th fret on the G string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7
- Root positionB♭–E♭–F–A♭B♭7sus46-6-6-8-6-6
- First inversionE♭–F–A♭–B♭B♭7sus4/E♭×-6-6-8-6-6
- Second inversionF–A♭–B♭–E♭B♭7sus4/F1-1-1-1-×-×
- Third inversionA♭–B♭–E♭–FB♭7sus4/A♭×-×-6-8-6-6
How do you play a B♭ 7th suspended 4th chord on guitar?
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 6 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
AdvancedThe index finger must barre all six strings at the 6th fret while the pinky reaches the 8th fret on the G string, requiring strength and stretch.
6th fret · 6-8-6-8-6-6
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 6 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the A string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭7sus4/E♭ inversion · fret 6
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as × 6 6 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭7sus4/E♭ inversion · fret 11
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 13 13 11 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 13, ring finger on the G string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (4) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (5) |
B♭7sus4/F inversion
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 1 × ×: barre your index finger across fret 1. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is built from the formula 1, 4, 5, ♭7. The perfect 4th between B♭ and E♭ replaces the major 3rd, suspending the chord. Compare it to B♭ suspended 4th, which omits the minor 7th.
What goes wrong with B♭ 7th suspended 4th?
- Buzzing on the B or high E string because the barre is uneven.
- Letting the pinky flatten and touch the D or B string, muting them.
When to use it
B♭ 7th suspended 4th works as the V chord in E♭ major, resolving to E♭ major in a I–IV–V–I progression. It also fits B♭ minor and B♭ 5th contexts. The suspended 4th creates tension before a resolution to B♭ major.
Changing to and from B♭ 7th suspended 4th
- Move to B♭ minor by lifting the pinky and placing it on the G string at the 6th fret, while keeping the barre at the 6th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret barre voicing is the default and keeps B♭ in the bass. The B♭7sus4/E♭ inversion at the 6th fret puts E♭ in the bass, softening the root. Choose the root-position shape for a firm foundation.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How do I write B♭ 7th suspended 4th?
B♭ 7th suspended 4th is written B♭7sus4 or Bb7sus4. The ASCII root is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What mistake do players make with the B♭7sus4 barre?
The pinky often fails to press the G string at the 8th fret cleanly, causing a muted note. Keep the pinky arched and close to the fret.
How does B♭7sus4 differ from B♭ minor 7th?
B♭7sus4 replaces the minor 3rd D♭ with the perfect 4th E♭. B♭ minor 7th contains D♭, while B♭7sus4 contains E♭, creating a suspended sound.