Tools / Chords / B♭ suspended 2nd

B♭ suspended 2nd chord on guitar (B♭sus2)

Also written B♭sus2 or B♭

B♭ suspended 2nd contains B♭, C, and F. The 1st fret shape is an intermediate barre chord that requires a full index finger across three strings.

1st fret×-1-3-3-1-1

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B♭1Root

C2Major 2nd

F5Perfect 5th

Formula 1, 2, 5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionB♭–C–FB♭sus2Bass B♭

First inversionC–F–B♭B♭sus2/CBass C

Second inversionF–B♭–CB♭sus2/FBass F

Why it sounds like that

B♭ suspended 2nd is built from the formula 1, 2, 5. The major second interval between B♭ and C replaces the third, giving the chord its suspended quality. Compare this with B♭ major, which uses D instead of C.

What goes wrong with B♭ suspended 2nd?

Letting the 6th string ring through adds an E that is not part of B♭ suspended 2nd.
Arching the barre so the 1st string is not fully fretted and sounds muted.

When to use it

B♭ suspended 2nd works in B♭ major progressions like B♭–E♭–F–B♭, the I–IV–V–I. It also fits the I–V–vi–IV in B♭ major: B♭–F–G minor–E♭. Use it in gospel, R&B, and rock ballads when you want a suspended color before resolving to B♭ major.

Changing to and from B♭ suspended 2nd

Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to reach B suspended 2nd.
Move to B♭ major by lifting the pinky and placing the middle finger on the 3rd string, 3rd fret.

Which voicing to use

The 1st fret position is the standard barre shape. The 13th fret version is the same voicing an octave higher. The B♭sus2/C inversions put the second in the bass, creating a softer, less grounded sound.

How do you play a B♭ suspended 2nd chord on guitar?

1st fret

Barre● On the diagram

B♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 1st fret as × 1 3 3 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.

Tip — The index barre must fret the A, B, and high e strings cleanly while the ring and pinky stretch to the 3rd fret.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	1	1 (barre)	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	3	3	F (5)
3 (G)	3	4	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	1	1 (barre)	C (2)
1 (e)	1	1 (barre)	F (5)

13th fret

Barre

B♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 13th fret as × 13 15 15 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the D string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	13	1 (barre)	B♭ (1)
4 (D)	15	3	F (5)
3 (G)	15	4	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	13	1 (barre)	C (2)
1 (e)	13	1 (barre)	F (5)

B♭sus2/C inversion · fret 1

Barre

B♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 1st fret as × 3 3 3 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the A string at fret 3, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	3	2	C (2)
4 (D)	3	3	F (5)
3 (G)	3	4	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	1	1 (barre)	C (2)
1 (e)	1	1 (barre)	F (5)

B♭sus2/C inversion · fret 8

Barre

B♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 8 10 × ×: barre your index finger across fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 10. The B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	8	1 (barre)	C (2)
5 (A)	8	1 (barre)	F (5)
4 (D)	8	1 (barre)	B♭ (1)
3 (G)	10	4	F (5)
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

B♭sus2/C inversion · fret 13

Barre

B♭ suspended 2nd is played at the 13th fret as × 15 15 15 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, middle finger on the A string at fret 15, ring finger on the D string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	15	2	C (2)
4 (D)	15	3	F (5)
3 (G)	15	4	B♭ (1)
2 (B)	13	1 (barre)	C (2)
1 (e)	13	1 (barre)	F (5)

Common questions

How do I write B♭ suspended 2nd?

B♭ suspended 2nd is written as B♭ or B♭sus2. The ASCII root spelling is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

What is the difference between B♭ suspended 2nd and B♭ add 9?

B♭ suspended 2nd omits the third entirely, leaving only B♭, C, and F. B♭ add 9 includes the major third D along with the ninth C, so it sounds fuller and more resolved.

Can B♭ suspended 2nd be used in place of B♭ minor?

B♭ suspended 2nd has no third, so it is neither major nor minor. It can substitute for B♭ minor in some contexts, but it will sound more open and less dark.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

C (2)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

B♭ (1)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

C (2)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

C (2)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

C (2)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

C (2)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

F (5)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

B♭ (1)

3 (G)

F (5)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

C (2)

4 (D)

F (5)

3 (G)

B♭ (1)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

C (2)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F (5)