How to Play Bsus2 Chord on Guitar
In today's lesson, we'll go over 3 distinct ways to play the B suspended second chord, or Bsus2 for short.
We'll discover common positions, voicings, and recommend finger placements, each with its chord diagram. Later in this article, we'll also discuss chord theory, how it gets its name, and how to use it.
Bsus2 Chord Finger Positions
Due to the notes that make a Bsus2, there isn't an open position for this chord. The nice thing is that all the finger positions we'll go over will help you learn your guitar fretboard which is why I always include the note names in the diagrams.
Bsus2 Guitar Chord Voicing #1:
Place your:
- First finger on fifth string, second fret
- Ring finger on fourth string, third fret
- Pinky on third string, fourth fret
- Bar your index finger across strings 1-5
Bsus2 Guitar Chord Voicing #2
Place your:
- Index finger on the fourth string, 9th fret
- Ring (third) finger on 3rd string, 11th fret
- Pinky on 2nd string, 12th fret
- Bar across strings 1-4
Bsus2 Guitar Chord Voicing #3
This next voicing is going to test your ability to stretch across the frets. Place your:
- 1st finger on the low E string, 7th fret
- 2nd finger on 5th string, 9th fret
- 4th finger on 4th string, 11th fret
Need help speeding up your chords transitions?
Get my free PDF download and video training and solve this once and for all!
Beginner
How to speed up your chord changes in less than 30 days
B Suspended Second Chord Theory
Now, let’s break down the theory of the Bsus2 chord so you can better understand how to use it.
The B suspended second chord is built from the B major scale: B C# D# E F# G# A#
To understand the chord formula, you need to understand "scale degrees," which is simply numbering the notes of a scale starting with the root note.
Often, music teachers reference piano note names due to the simplicity of the layout of a piano for scales, but I think the illustration below will do:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
B C# D# E F# G# A#
The Bsus2 is Neither A Major Nor A Minor Chord
In music theory, the 3rd scale degree determines if a chord is major or minor, and because the 3rd scale degree is not part of this chord's formula, it's simply not a major nor minor chord.
For a B suspended second chord, we use the 1 2 5 notes of the scale, which are notes B C# F#. You must have these notes (no more, no less) to make a Bsus2 chord.
Side note: I don't want to get too deep into the theory, but sometimes you'll hear the 2 referred to as a major second in reference to the intervals. This is getting a little too deep into music theory and would require a whole other article, so we'll skip this for now.
How To Use A Suspended Second Chord
As already mentioned, a suspended second chord is neither major nor minor - it's almost like it's "SUSPENDED" and doesn't know where to go.
It's used to get a bit more mileage out of the chord before there is movement. This means that you can bounce around on the chord before you move to another chord. For example, you can play a Bm to Bsus2 or B major to Bsus2 to keep the listener entertained a little longer before you move to another chord.
You can also use these guitar chords for voice leading to help the music flow a bit more naturally. For example, you played a chord progression using Bsus2 - A major. This would flow well because Bsus2 uses notes B C# F# and A major uses A C# E. Now, both chords share at least one note and when this happens we say they have a common tone or common tones if it’s multiple.
Using the Bsus2 Chord in Chord Progressions
If you are playing in the key of B minor, go back and forth between Bm and Bsus2 a few times, then play an A major. If you are playing in the key of B major, go back and forth between the B major chord and Bsus2 a few times, then play an E major.
It's super easy and sounds great!
Now you know a few ways to play the Bsus2 chord and understand some Bsus2 chord theory!
If you need help understanding keys and more in-depth theory, inside the Guitar GPS Method, I'll systematically build your skills, knowledge, and creativity in an easy to follow leveled system of gamified courses and popular songs.
Did you find this article helpful? If so, please share!