Bbsus4 Piano Chord

Bbsus4 is the B flat suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: B flat, E flat and F. The lower two are black keys and the top note is white.

1B♭3E♭5FC3C4

B♭ at the bottom, then E♭ and F. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1. The black keys are B♭ and E♭.

How to play Bbsus4 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the B♭ below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): B♭
  3. Middle finger (3): E♭
  4. Little finger (5): F
  5. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just B♭ on its own as a bass note.

Resolving this chord means moving the E flat down to D, black key to white. The hand comes forward as the tension clears, which is a useful thing to feel.

Inversions of Bbsus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Bbsus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionE♭ F B♭
Bbsus4 piano chord diagram, first inversion, E♭ F B♭
Lighter than root position and less final. A fourth in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionF B♭ E♭
Bbsus4 piano chord diagram, second inversion, F B♭ E♭
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.

If it sounds wrong

The thumb slips off
It is on a black key, so the hand has to sit further into the keyboard than usual.
You have played D
That belongs to B flat major and is where this chord resolves. Bbsus4 needs E flat.
The chord sounds muddy low down
Two black keys close together blur in the bass. Play the chord at or above middle C.

What makes it a Bbsus4

B♭ · E♭ · F 1 4 5

Bbsus4 is B flat, E flat and F: the root, the fourth and the fifth.

It is the V chord of E flat with the third suspended, and the I chord of B flat in the same form. Gospel and soul, which favour these keys, use it constantly.

Bbsus4 vs Bb

B flat major has D, a white key; Bbsus4 has E flat, a black one. The suspension resolves by moving that finger down and forward.

Both chords keep the thumb on the same black key, so only one finger moves.

Questions about Bbsus4

What does sus mean in Bbsus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In Bbsus4 the third, D, is replaced by E flat, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a Bbsus4 chord on piano?

B flat, E flat and F.

What is the difference between Bbsus4 and B flatsus2?

Which note stands in for the third. Bbsus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; B flatsus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve Bbsus4?

Move E flat down to D, which turns the chord into B flat major. That single step is the whole point of a sus4, and it is one of the most used moves in gospel, rock and pop.

Chords to learn next

Other Bb chords