As a suspended dominantE major
A suspended dominant: the fourth hangs over the chord, then drops into the third.
B7sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord built on the root note B. Its notes are B, E, F♯ and A.
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Short answer
Dominant seventh sus4 chords hold the tension of a dominant without committing to major or minor. The fourth hangs where the third would be, which is why they open so many gospel, soul and funk vamps.
- Notes
- B · E · F♯ · A
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 5 · 7 · 10
- Note
- B
- Quality
- Dominant 7 sus4
- Symbol
- B7sus4
B7sus4 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B7sus4 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B, index finger on E, middle finger on F♯ and little finger on A. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard F♯ is a black key and B, E and A are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B1
- E4
- F♯5
- A♭7
B7sus4 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B7sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
B · E · F♯ · A
Try B7sus4 on the virtual piano
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B7sus4 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F♯(F#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A |
How to use the B7sus4 chord
The B7sus4 chord is built from a root, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, E, F♯ and A. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant seventh sus4 chords act as a V chord that delays its own resolution, often falling to a plain dominant seventh a beat later. Gospel, soul, funk and seventies rock use them constantly.
How B7sus4 differs from similar chords
B7sus4 is B7 with the third replaced by a perfect fourth, so the tritone that makes a dominant pull is gone. Unlike Bsus4, it keeps the minor seventh, which still points towards the next chord. That is why it so often resolves to a plain B7 before moving on.
Where B7sus4 is used
A suspended chord withholds the third, so it is a chord in waiting - it resolves onto the plain triad underneath it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B7sus4 chord?
- The B7sus4 chord contains B, E, F♯ and A (B, E, F# and A in plain text).
- Is the B7sus4 chord major or minor?
- B7sus4 is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord. Dominant seventh sus4 chords hold the tension of a dominant without committing to major or minor. The fourth hangs where the third would be, which is why they open so many gospel, soul and funk vamps.
- How do you play B7sus4 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B, E, F♯ and A and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard F♯ is a black key and B, E and A are white.
- How do you play B7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with B7sus4?
- B7sus4 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.