Bsus4 Chord
How to play B sus4 on guitar — tense and suspended — it wants to fall back to the plain chord.
- Notes
- B – E – F♯
- Frets (low → high)
- 7 9 9 9 7 7
- Difficulty
- Barre chord
- Shape
- Barre at fret 7
How to play Bsus4, step by step
- 1Lay your index finger flat across all six strings at the 7th fret — this is the barre, and it works like a movable nut.
- 2Put your middle finger on the 9th fret of the A string (5th).
- 3Put your ring finger on the 9th fret of the D string (4th).
- 4Put your little finger on the 9th fret of the G string (3rd).
- 5Strum slowly and check every string sounds cleanly; if one buzzes, press closer to the fret wire and arch your fingers so they clear the neighbouring strings.
An easier way to play Bsus4
Bsus4 normally needs a barre, which is the single most common place beginners stall. A capo removes it entirely.
Put a capo on fret 2 and play an open Asus4 shape. The capo raises every string by 2 semitones, so what your hand fingers as Asus4 comes out of the guitar as Bsus4 — the same chord, none of the strain.
What makes a suspended fourth chord
Tense and suspended — it wants to fall back to the plain chord.
| Note | Interval | Semitones above B |
|---|---|---|
| B | root | 0 |
| E | 4th | 5 |
| F♯ | 5th | 7 |
Other B chords
Same root, different colour. Swapping one of these into a progression is the quickest way to change its mood without changing the key.
Every sus4 chord
The same shape moved around the neck. If you can play Bsus4 you are a fret-slide away from all of these.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the Bsus4 chord?
- Bsus4 is made of B, E, F♯ — the root, 4th, 5th of B.
- Is Bsus4 hard to play?
- Bsus4 is usually played as a barre chord at the 7th fret, which takes some hand strength. An easier route is a capo on fret 2 and the open Asus4 shape — it sounds identical.
- How do I play Bsus4 without a barre?
- Put a capo on fret 2 and play the open Asus4 shape. The capo raises every string by 2 semitones, so the shape sounds as Bsus4 while your hand does far less work.
Got a chart full of chords like Bsus4?
Upload a chord sheet and move every chord into a key that fits your hands and your voice — the layout stays exactly as printed. Or let the capo calculator pick the position that turns the barre chords into open ones.