3 notes · 1 · 4 · 5

B Suspended Fourth Piano Chord (Bsus4)

Bsus4 is built from B, E and F# — the formula 1 · 4 · 5, or 5 and 7 semitones above B. The shape uses 2 white and 1 black key, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.

Root noteChord type

Chord

B Suspended fourth

Notes

B · E · F#

Formula

1 · 4 · 5

Right hand

1 · 4 · 5

Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).

The finder above already holds Bsus4. Press P or the Play chord button to hear B, E, F# sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.

Chord tones

The notes in Bsus4

A suspended fourth chord replaces the third with the fourth degree. The fourth sits one semitone above the major third and leans onto it, so a sus4 is usually heard as a delay that resolves into the plain triad underneath it.

Each tone of B suspended fourth with its interval, scale degree, distance in semitones from B and a suggested right-hand finger.
Note	Interval	Degree	Semitones	Right hand
Bwhite key	Root	1	0	1 · thumb
Ewhite key	Perfect fourth	4	5	4 · ring finger
F#black key	Perfect fifth	5	7	5 · little finger

Step by step

How to play Bsus4 on piano

Find B: it is the white key immediately right of a group of three black keys.
Build upwards from B using 5 and 7 semitones to reach E and F#.
With the right hand, place finger 1 on B, finger 4 on E and finger 5 on F#. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black key sits comfortably under your fingers.
Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how Bsus4 settles.
Try first inversion as well: E – F# – B. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.

Inversions

Bsus4 in 3 positions

An inversion keeps the same 3 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.

Root position

B – E – F#

The root B is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.

First inversion

E – F# – B

E is the lowest note, so the perfect fourth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.

Second inversion

F# – B – E

F# is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.

In context

Which keys contain Bsus4

In D major the chord functions as visus4. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 10 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.

D majorvisus4
E majorVsus4
G majoriiisus4
A majoriisus4
B majorIsus4
C♯ minorVIIsus4
E minorvsus4
F♯ minorivsus4
G♯ minorIIIsus4
B minorisus4

Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.

Compare

Bsus4 against B major

Bsus4 and B major share B and F#. Moving the major third D# up 1 semitone to the perfect fourth E turns B major into Bsus4.

Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes B, F# still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.

Open B major →

Good questions

Bsus4 questions

What notes are in the Bsus4 chord?

Bsus4 contains B, E and F#. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 4 · 5, or 5 and 7 semitones above B.

What is the right-hand fingering for Bsus4?

A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on B, 4 (ring finger) on E and 5 (little finger) on F#. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.

How is Bsus4 different from B major?

Bsus4 and B major share B and F#. Moving the major third D# up 1 semitone to the perfect fourth E turns B major into Bsus4.

Which keys use the Bsus4 chord?

It occurs naturally in D major (visus4), E major (Vsus4), G major (iiisus4), A major (iisus4), B major (Isus4) and C♯ minor (VIIsus4) among others. The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.

What are the inversions of Bsus4?

root position is B – E – F#, first inversion is E – F# – B and second inversion is F# – B – E. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.