How to Play Bsus4 Chord on Guitar
In today's lesson, we'll go over 3 distinct ways to play the B suspended fourth chord. For short written as Bsus4 and pronounced B sus four.
I've included the notes in the chord diagram to help you learn your guitar fretboard and hopefully if you run into any chord charts that use a suspended chord you'll know how to decipher it.
We'll discover common positions, voicings, and recommend finger placements, each with its chord diagram and later we'll also discuss chord theory, how it gets its name, and how to use it etc.
Play Bsus4 Guitar Using Barre chords
Bsus4 Barre chord shape 1
Due to the notes that make a Bsus4, there isn't an easy open position that is using open strings. The nice thing is that all the finger positions are relatively easy!
To play this first B suspended chord place your first finger on 6th string 7th fret, your third finger on 5th string 9th fret and then barre with one finger (your ring finger)
It's just like the A shape barre chord but you're playing starting on the 6th string vs the 5th.
Bsus4 Barre chord shape 2
This next fingering is also relatively easy but as you can see below, when you strum avoid strumming the 5th and 6th strings.
To play, place your third finger on the fourth string 9th fret, your fourth finger on the third string 9th fret, and your first finger on the second string 7th fret. Barre with your first finger across strings one and two.
Bsus4 Barre chord shape 3
This last voicing is the most difficult to play due to the playing so low on the fretboard but with practice you'll get it!
To play place your index finger on the fifth string second fret, your ring finger on the fourth string fourth fret and while barring place your pinky on second string fifth fret.
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Bsus4 Guitar Chord Theory
Now lets break down the theory of the Bsus4 chord so you can better understand how its constructed and how to use it.
The Bsus4 guitar 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 the piano due to the simplicity of the layout 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 Bsus4 Chord is Neither Major Nor Minor
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.
If you've read my breakdown of the B major chord you'd know that a B chord uses notes B D# F#, which are chord tones 1 3 5 notes of the scale. For a B suspended chord the fourth degree essentially is used to replace the third as we use the 1 4 5 chord tones.
Side note: I don't want to get too deep into the theory, but sometimes you'll hear the 4 referred to as a perfect fourth in reference to the intervals. This is another layer deep and really isn't important right now.
How To Use B Suspended Fourth Chord
Because a sus chord is neither major nor minor - it's almost like it's "SUSPENDED" and doesn't know where to go. This will create "suspense" no pun intended :) keeping your listeners engaged at bit longer.
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 it, moving from Bm to Bsus4 or B major to Bsus4 to keep the listener entertained a little longer before you move to another chord.
What Keys Use Bsus4 Guitar Chord?
Now you know a few ways to play the Bsus4 chord and understand some Bsus4 chord theory!
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