Bsus4 Piano Chord

Bsus4 is the B suspended fourth chord. It has three notes: B, E and F sharp. Only the top note is a black key, and the D sharp that would make the chord major is gone.

1B3E5F♯C3C4

B at the bottom, then E and F♯. Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-2-1. The black key is F♯.

How to play Bsus4 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 down to D sharp, from a white key to the black one below. In the key of E that move happens on the V chord, where it is most effective.

Inversions of Bsus4

The same 3 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are Bsus4; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionE F♯ B
Bsus4 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
Bsus4 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

You have played D sharp
That belongs to B major, and it is where the suspension resolves. Bsus4 needs E instead.
The little finger is on the wrong key
The top note is F sharp, the black key. F natural would give a diminished sound.
The hand is stretched
B to E is a fourth. Open the hand from the knuckles rather than pulling the fingers apart.

What makes it a Bsus4

B · E · F♯ 1 4 5

Bsus4 is B, E and F sharp: the root, the fourth and the fifth.

It is the V chord of E with the third suspended, which is its most common job. Songs in E use it to delay the arrival of the B chord.

Bsus4 vs B

B major has D sharp; Bsus4 has E. Resolving moves one finger from a white key down onto a black one.

Bsus4 is also the easier of the two chords, having only one black key to B major's two.

Questions about Bsus4

What does sus mean in Bsus4?

Suspended. The third of the chord is removed and replaced by another note. In Bsus4 the third, D sharp, is replaced by E, the fourth, which is why the chord sounds like it is waiting for something.

Which notes are in a Bsus4 chord on piano?

B, E and F sharp.

What is the difference between Bsus4 and Bsus2?

Which note stands in for the third. Bsus4 uses the fourth and sounds tense; Bsus2 uses the second and sounds open. Sus4 wants to resolve, sus2 is happy where it is.

How do you resolve Bsus4?

Move E down to D sharp, which turns the chord into B 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 B chords