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B♭ suspended 4th chord on guitar (B♭sus4)
Also called or written B♭sus4, B♭sus or B♭ Suspended
B♭ suspended 4th contains B♭, E♭ and F. The 6th fret barre shape puts the root on the low E string and demands a full index barre.
How it is built
Formula 1, 4, 5
- Root positionB♭–E♭–FB♭sus46-6-8-8-6-6
- First inversionE♭–F–B♭B♭sus4/E♭×-6-8-8-6-6
- Second inversionF–B♭–E♭B♭sus4/F1-1-1-3-×-×
How do you play a B♭ suspended 4th chord on guitar?
B♭ suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the D 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) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (4) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
IntermediateThe full barre at the 6th fret must hold down the low E and high e while the ring and pinky stretch to the 8th fret.
6th fret · 6-8-8-8-6-6
B♭ suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, ring finger on the D 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 | 2 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭sus4/E♭ inversion
B♭ suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as × 6 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 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) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
B♭sus4/F inversion · fret 1
B♭ suspended 4th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 3 × ×: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3. 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) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
B♭sus4/F inversion · fret 6
B♭ suspended 4th is played at the 6th fret as × 8 8 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the A string at fret 8, ring finger on the D string at fret 8 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) | 8 | 2 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (4) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ suspended 4th is built 1, 4, 5 from B♭. The perfect 4th between B♭ and E♭ replaces the major 3rd, creating an unresolved sound. Compare it with B♭ major, which has D instead of E♭.
What goes wrong with B♭ suspended 4th?
- Letting the high e string buzz under the barre; roll the index finger slightly onto its side.
- Allowing the ring finger to touch the G string and mute it; keep it arched over that string.
When to use it
B♭ suspended 4th fits B♭ major progressions like B♭–E♭–F–B♭, the I–IV–V–I. Use it in rock or gospel when you want a suspended colour before resolving to B♭ major.
Changing to and from B♭ suspended 4th
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 5th fret to play A suspended 4th.
- Move to B♭ major by lifting the ring and pinky, then fretting the D string at the 8th fret and the G string at the 7th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 6th fret barre voicing is the default and keeps the root B♭ in the bass. The B♭sus4/E♭ inversion puts the 4th in the bass for a softer, less grounded sound.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ suspended 4th written?
B♭ suspended 4th is written B♭sus or B♭sus4. On a keyboard, type Bb for the root. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ suspended 4th and B♭ suspended 2nd?
B♭ suspended 4th replaces the major 3rd with a perfect 4th, E♭. B♭ suspended 2nd replaces it with a major 2nd, C, giving a more open, airy sound.
Can I play B♭ suspended 4th without a barre?
Yes, the B♭sus4/E♭ inversion omits the low E string and uses a partial barre on the top five strings. But it still requires barring at the 6th fret.