Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string, x is a string you do not play.
- Index finger flat across the top 5 strings, from the A string up at the 2nd fret — the barre.
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the G string (3rd).
- Ring finger on the 5th fret of the B string (2nd).
- Do not play the low E string: start the strum from the A string.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | not played | — | — | — |
| 5th (A) | fret 2 | index | B2 | root |
| 4th (D) | fret 2 | index | E3 | fourth |
| 3rd (G) | fret 4 | middle | B3 | root |
| 2nd (B) | fret 5 | ring | E4 | fourth |
| 1st (high E) | fret 2 | index | F♯4 | fifth |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Bsus4
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 779977A barre at the 7th fret and two more fingers
- 77445xA barre at the 4th fret and three more fingers
- x-x-9-11-12-12A shape at the 9th fret · four fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
x24400 is Bsus4 without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Or use a capo: clamp it at the 2nd fret and play the Asus4 shape. Every string is raised 2 semitones, so that open shape now sounds Bsus4.
Holding it cleanly
The barre is the hard part. Lay the index finger just behind the 2nd fret, roll it slightly onto its bony outer edge, and keep the thumb behind the neck opposite it. Pluck the barred strings one at a time: a buzz or a dead string means the finger is not flat there yet.
It spans 4 frets. Bring the elbow in and let the hand turn slightly toward the body of the guitar; the stretch comes from the hand opening, not from the fingers reaching.
The lowest string is left out, because its open note is not in the chord. Aim the strum to start below it, or let the tip of a fretting finger rest against the unwanted string to keep it quiet.
The notes in Bsus4
A suspended fourth chord is built from the root (1), 4 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From B that gives B – E – F♯. The third is pushed up to the fourth. It leans back down to the plain major chord, and is usually played just before it.
The same root, other chords: B major, Bm, B7, Bmaj7, Bm7, Bsus2, Bdim, Baug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Bsus4 chord?
B suspended fourth is three notes: B – E – F♯ — the root, 4 and 5 of the B major scale. On guitar the shape x22452 sounds B2, E3, B3, E4 and F♯4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Bsus4 on guitar?
The usual shape is x22452 — a barre chord at the 2nd fret, with a barre at the 2nd fret and two more fingers. If that is out of reach for now, x24400 is the same chord without the full barre. Or put a capo on the 2nd fret and play the Asus4 shape, which then sounds Bsus4.
What is the difference between Bsus4 and B?
Bsus4 replaces the third of B with the fourth (E). The fourth leans back down to the third, so Bsus4 is nearly always followed by B.