FMFretboardMentor
PL

B♭sus4 Chord on Guitar

B♭sus4 is the B♭ suspended 4th chord — 3 notes (B♭, E♭, F) built from the formula 1 4 5. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: B♭ · E♭ · FFormula: 1 · 4 · 5Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

B♭sus4: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • B♭sus4 – fret 1×R4R45fret 1
  • B♭sus4 – fret 33R45R4×fret 3
  • B♭sus4 – fret 66R4R45Rfret 6
  • B♭sus4 – fret 88××R5R4fret 8
  • B♭sus4 – fret 1010×R45R×fret 10

B♭sus4: Triad voicings (3 strings)

  • B♭sus4 – bass: R3R45×××bass: R
  • B♭sus4 – bass: R10×R45××bass: R
  • B♭sus4 – bass: R6××R45×bass: R
  • B♭sus4 – bass: R×××R45bass: R
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 4845R×××bass: 4
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 43×45R××bass: 4
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 410××45R×bass: 4
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 46×××45Rbass: 4
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 55R4×××bass: 5
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 58×5R4××bass: 5
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 5××5R4×bass: 5
  • B♭sus4 – bass: 510×××5R4bass: 5

Keys that contain B♭sus4

Scales to play over B♭sus4

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain B♭, E♭, F.

Other B♭ chords

Triads

Sevenths

Sixths

Added

Extended

Suspended 4th chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the B♭sus4 chord?
B♭sus4 (B♭ suspended 4th) contains B♭, E♭, F — formula 1 4 5.
How do you play B♭sus4 on guitar?
A common shape is x11341 (low E to high E, x = muted string, around fret 1). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with B♭sus4?
Good choices to solo over B♭sus4: B♭ Mixolydian, B♭ Ionian (Major), B♭ Dorian.
What key is B♭sus4 in?
B♭sus4 is diatonic in D♭ major (VIsus4), E♭ major (Vsus4), F♯ major (IIIsus4), A♭ major (IIsus4), B♭ major (Isus4), C minor (♭VIIsus4).