B7sus4 Chord on Guitar
B7sus4 = B – E – F# – A (Root, Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
B7sus4 combines a dominant seventh with a suspended fourth, producing a lean, punchy chord that's a staple of gospel, funk, and rock rhythm playing. At the seventh-fret barre it's one of the sparser shapes in this set, since both the third and fifth are typically left out of the practical voicing.
The full chord is B, E, F#, A — root, fourth, fifth, flat seventh, with the third replaced entirely by the fourth. That combination gives B7sus4 an open-yet-driving quality: it has the flat seventh's dominant pull but none of the third's major-or-minor commitment, which is exactly why it works so well as a rhythmic vamp chord in styles favoring percussive, harmonically ambiguous strumming. It commonly resolves down into plain B7, the fourth falling to the third in a classic sus-to-dominant cadential move.
Fingerings
Barre (7th fret)
How to Practice It
Practice the B7sus4-to-B7 resolution as one rhythmic gesture, the same way Bsus4-to-B major works — in real playing it's almost always a single quick motion. Because this voicing is lean, it's also good for building right-hand rhythmic patterns, since the reduced note count lets the strumming attack come through clearly.
Common Progressions
- B7sus4 – B7 – E (V7sus4 – V7 – I, a classic gospel-style resolution)
- E7sus4 – E7 – B7sus4 – B7 (pairing the same move on IV and V)
- B7sus4 – B7 (a tight, repeated vamp figure)
- B7sus4 – E – B7sus4 – E (a funk-leaning static groove)
FAQ
- What notes are in B7sus4?
- B, E, F#, and A — root, fourth, fifth, and flat seventh — with the third left out entirely, which is what gives the chord its suspended, harmonically ambiguous character.
- How does B7sus4 typically resolve?
- Most often down into plain B7, with the suspended fourth falling a half step to the major third — a classic cadential move heard constantly in gospel and gospel-influenced rock and funk.
- Why is B7sus4 popular in funk and gospel guitar playing?
- Its lean, third-less voicing gives it a punchy, rhythmically percussive quality that sits well in tight, groove-driven arrangements.
- Is B7sus4 the same as B11?
- They're closely related and often share a very similar practical voicing, but B11 theoretically implies a fuller extended stack while 7sus4 is specifically defined by the fourth replacing the third.
- Is B7sus4 harder to finger than plain B7?
- No, generally about the same or slightly easier, since it's a comparably lean shape built from the same barre position.
- Does B7sus4 ever appear without resolving to B7?
- Yes — in funk and groove-based styles it's common to vamp on B7sus4 for extended stretches without ever resolving it.
- Why does B7sus4 sound different from Bsus4?
- B7sus4 adds the flat seventh on top of the plain suspended triad, giving it a more dominant, forward-leaning character than Bsus4, which stays closer to a simple, unresolved suspension.
- Is B7sus4 common in blues playing?
- It appears occasionally as a color chord, though straightforward blues favors plain dominant sevenths; 7sus4 shows up more in funkier, gospel-tinged corners of blues-adjacent styles.
- Can B7sus4 be strummed percussively?
- Yes, and that's one of its most common uses — muting right after the strum while holding the shape produces a tight, percussive pulse common in funk rhythm guitar.
- Does the B7sus4-to-B7 resolution need to land exactly on the beat?
- Not necessarily — pushing it slightly ahead of or behind the beat is a common device that adds syncopated groove to what would otherwise be a plain cadential move.
- Is B7sus4 more of a rhythm chord or one meant to ring out sustained?
- Overwhelmingly a rhythm chord — its punchy, percussive character is built for driving a groove forward rather than ringing out as a sustained backdrop.
- Does B7sus4 ever show up in reggae or ska guitar parts?
- Occasionally, though those genres more often favor plain major, minor, and dominant seventh chords; 7sus4 is more at home in funk, gospel, and blues-rock rhythm playing.
- Is there a way to make B7sus4 sound less abrupt when strummed hard?
- Rolling the strum slightly, letting the lower strings hit a hair before the higher ones, softens the attack without losing the chord's essential punch, a small technique many funk and gospel players use instinctively.
Related: how chords are built, chord finder.