B♭ Suspended 4th Guitar Chord (B♭sus4)
B♭ suspended 4th is a three-note chord built from B♭ (the root), E♭ (the perfect fourth), and F (the perfect fifth). It creates gentle tension without darkness. The suspended fourth hovers a half step above the major third it usually falls back to. Below are 4 ways to play it in standard tuning, easiest shape first.
B♭sus4 chord shapes — standard tuning
How to play it
Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings (from the A (5th) string up) at fret 1 — that barre is the backbone of this B♭sus4 shape. Then add your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 3 and your ring finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 4. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum — start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.
Once that shape is comfortable, try the other 3 voicings above — same notes, different neck positions and textures.
Notes in this chord
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | B♭ |
| 4 | perfect fourth | E♭ |
| 5 | perfect fifth | F |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see B♭sus4 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More B♭ chords
Nearby suspended 4th chords
B♭sus4 FAQ
What notes are in B♭sus4?
B♭sus4 contains B♭, E♭, and F — the root (B♭), the perfect fourth, and the perfect fifth.
Is B♭sus4 a barre chord?
The most common B♭sus4 shape (x-1-1-3-4-1) is a barre chord — your index finger bars fret 1 across 5 strings. There is no standard open-position shape for this chord in standard tuning, but the diagrams above include every practical alternative up the neck.
What is the easiest way to play B♭sus4 on guitar?
Start with the barre · 1fr shape x-1-1-3-4-1. Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings (from the A (5th) string up) at fret 1 — that barre is the backbone of this B♭sus4 shape. Then add your middle finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 3 and your ring finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 4. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum — start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.