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 C7sus4.
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 notes
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 A♯ is a black key and B♯, E♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, F and G. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- E♯4
- F𝄪5
- A♯♭7
B♯7sus4 on guitar
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. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · E♯ · F𝄪 · A♯
Play B♯7sus4 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯7sus4 chord notes
Also known as C7sus4
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 4 | Perfect fourth | 5 | E♯(E#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A♯(A#) |
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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯7sus4 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯7sus4 chord?
- The B♯7sus4 chord contains B♯, E♯, F𝄪 and A♯ (B#, E#, F## and A# 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 A♯ is a black key and B♯, E♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C, F and G.
- How do you play B♯7sus4 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯7sus4 chord?
- B♯7sus4 is enharmonically equivalent to C7sus4. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.