Tools / Chords / B suspended 4th

B suspended 4th chord on guitar (Bsus4)

Also written Bsus4, Bsus or B Suspended

B suspended 4th contains B, E and F♯. The 7th fret barre shape is identical to B♭ suspended 4th moved up one fret, with the root on the low E string.

7th fret · 7-7-9-9-7-77-7-9-9-7-7

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

B1Root

E4Perfect 4th

F♯5Perfect 5th

Formula 1, 4, 5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

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

Root positionB–E–F♯Bsus4Bass B

First inversionE–F♯–BBsus4/EBass E

Second inversionF♯–B–EBsus4/F♯Bass F♯

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 a suspended, unresolved quality. 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; adjust the index finger angle.
Allowing the ring finger to mute the G string; keep it arched over that string.

When to use it

B suspended 4th works in B major progressions like B–E–F♯–B, the I–IV–V–I. It suits rock and pop when you want a suspended colour before resolving to B major.

Changing to and from B suspended 4th

Slide the shape down two frets 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 9th fret and the G string at the 8th fret.

Which voicing to use

The 7th fret barre voicing is the default and keeps the root B in the bass. The Bsus4/E inversion puts the 4th in the bass for a lighter, less grounded sound.

How do you play a B suspended 4th chord on guitar?

7th fret · 7-7-9-9-7-7

Barre● On the diagram

B suspended 4th is played at the 7th fret as 7 7 9 9 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 9.

Tip — The full barre at the 7th fret must hold down the low E and high e while the ring and pinky reach the 9th fret.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	7	1 (barre)	B (1)
5 (A)	7	1 (barre)	E (4)
4 (D)	9	3	B (1)
3 (G)	9	4	E (4)
2 (B)	7	1 (barre)	F♯ (5)
1 (e)	7	1 (barre)	B (1)

7th fret · 7-9-9-9-7-7

Barre

B suspended 4th is played at the 7th fret as 7 9 9 9 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, middle finger on the A string at fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 9.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	7	1 (barre)	B (1)
5 (A)	9	2	F♯ (5)
4 (D)	9	3	B (1)
3 (G)	9	4	E (4)
2 (B)	7	1 (barre)	F♯ (5)
1 (e)	7	1 (barre)	B (1)

Bsus4/E inversion

Barre

B suspended 4th is played at the 7th fret as × 7 9 9 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	7	1 (barre)	E (4)
4 (D)	9	3	B (1)
3 (G)	9	4	E (4)
2 (B)	7	1 (barre)	F♯ (5)
1 (e)	7	1 (barre)	B (1)

Bsus4/F♯ inversion · fret 2

Barre

B suspended 4th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 2 2 4 × ×: barre your index finger across fret 2 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 4. The B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

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

Bsus4/F♯ inversion · fret 7

Barre

B suspended 4th is played at the 7th fret as × 9 9 9 7 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, middle finger on the A string at fret 9, ring finger on the D string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	9	2	F♯ (5)
4 (D)	9	3	B (1)
3 (G)	9	4	E (4)
2 (B)	7	1 (barre)	F♯ (5)
1 (e)	7	1 (barre)	B (1)

Common questions

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 Bsus4/E inversion omits the low E string and uses a partial barre on the top five strings. But it still requires barring at the 7th fret.

How do I avoid muting the high e string?

Roll your index finger slightly onto its side so the bony edge presses the strings, and keep the finger straight across the fret.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

B (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

E (4)

4 (D)

B (1)

3 (G)

E (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

F♯ (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

B (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

B (1)

5 (A)

F♯ (5)

4 (D)

B (1)

3 (G)

E (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

F♯ (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

B (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

E (4)

4 (D)

B (1)

3 (G)

E (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

F♯ (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

B (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

F♯ (5)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

B (1)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

E (4)

3 (G)

B (1)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

F♯ (5)

4 (D)

B (1)

3 (G)

E (4)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

F♯ (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

B (1)