Bsus4 Chord on Guitar

Fingerings

How to Practice It

Drill the sus4-to-major move (Bsus4 falling into B major) as one rhythmic gesture rather than two separate chord changes, since that's how it's almost always performed in real playing. Compare the pull of this chord against Bsus2 to notice how much stronger and more urgent sus4's resolution feels by ear.

Common Progressions

• Bsus4 – B (the classic suspension-and-release)
• B – Bsus4 – B – E (I – Isus4 – I – IV)
• Esus4 – E – Bsus4 – B (IV suspension paired with V suspension)
• F# – Bsus4 – B (V – Isus4 – I)

FAQ

What's the main difference between Bsus4 and Bsus2?

Bsus4 replaces the third with the note above it, which sits a half step from the fifth and pulls strongly toward resolution, while Bsus2 replaces the third with the note below it and sounds open rather than urgent.

Why does Bsus4 almost always resolve to B major?

The suspended fourth is genuinely dissonant against the surrounding notes, and the ear expects it to fall a half step into the third that B major restores.

Is Bsus4 common in strumming patterns?

Very — quickly alternating between Bsus4 and B major within a single strum is a common embellishment across folk and pop guitar playing.

Does Bsus4 ever stay unresolved?

Occasionally, in more ambient or modern guitar writing, a sus4 chord is left hanging deliberately as a color rather than resolved.

Is the Bsus4 fingering harder than plain B major?

No — it uses the same seventh-fret barre position with one note shifted rather than added.

How does Bsus4 relate to an E/B slash chord?

They're unrelated in construction — Bsus4 is built entirely from B's own scale degrees with the third replaced, whereas a slash chord layers a full triad over a different bass note.

Why is the sus4-to-major move considered such a common guitar device?

It's cheap to execute physically, often just a single finger shifting one fret, while producing a clearly audible tension-and-release.

Is there a lower A-shape version of Bsus4?

Yes, at the second fret, offering the same suspended color with a gentler stretch than the seventh-fret barre.

Why does sus4 feel more urgent than add9 even though both alter a triad?

Add9 layers on a consonant extra tone while leaving the triad intact, but sus4 removes the third and replaces it with a genuinely dissonant interval, so the urgency comes from what's missing rather than what's added.

Do rhythm sections typically hold the bass steady through a sus4-to-major move?

Often yes — keeping the bass note fixed lets the harmonic motion of the suspension resolving happen entirely within the guitar or other chordal instruments.

Can sus4 be combined with a seventh at the same time?

Yes — that's exactly what 7sus4 does, layering a flat seventh onto the same third-replaced structure for an even more specific, funk-and-gospel-associated color.

Why do some songs open on a suspended chord instead of using it only at a cadence?

Opening on a suspended chord creates immediate unresolved tension that grabs a listener's ear right away, a deliberate songwriting choice distinct from sus4's more familiar role resolving into a cadence.

Does Bsus4 ever get used as a substitute for a full B major chord throughout a whole section?

Occasionally, in songs deliberately built around unresolved tension, though most guitarists still treat it as a passing color leading into the major chord rather than a wholesale replacement for it.