As a suspended dominantE♭ major
A suspended dominant: the fourth hangs over the chord, then drops into the third.
B♭7sus4 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♭7sus4 chord is a dominant seventh suspended fourth chord built on the root note B♭. Its notes are B♭, E♭, F and A♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♯7sus4.
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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
- B♭7sus4
B♭7sus4 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♭7sus4 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 B♭, E♭ and A♭ are black keys and F is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♭1
- E♭4
- F5
- A♭♭7
B♭7sus4 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♭7sus4 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
B♭ · E♭ · F · A♭
Try B♭7sus4 on the virtual piano
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B♭7sus4 chord notes
Also known as A♯7sus4
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | E♭(Eb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♭(Ab) |
How to use the B♭7sus4 chord
The B♭7sus4 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 B♭7sus4 differs from similar chords
B♭7sus4 is B♭7 with the third replaced by a perfect fourth, so the tritone that makes a dominant pull is gone. Unlike B♭sus4, it keeps the minor seventh, which still points towards the next chord. That is why it so often resolves to a plain B♭7 before moving on.
Where B♭7sus4 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 B♭7sus4 chord?
- The B♭7sus4 chord contains B♭, E♭, F and A♭ (Bb, Eb, F and Ab in plain text).
- Is the B♭7sus4 chord major or minor?
- B♭7sus4 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 B♭7sus4 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 B♭, E♭ and A♭ are black keys and F is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play B♭7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♭7sus4 chord?
- B♭7sus4 is enharmonically equivalent to A♯7sus4. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.