B♯sus2 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯sus2 chord is a suspended second chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, C𝄪 and F𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Csus2.
Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- Notes
- B♯ · C𝄪 · F𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · 2 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 2 · 7
- Note
- B♯
- Quality
- Suspended 2
- Symbol
- B♯sus2
B♯sus2 on piano
3 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯sus2 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♯, middle finger on C𝄪 and little finger on F𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of B♯sus2 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, D and G. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- C𝄪2
- F𝄪5
B♯sus2 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯sus2 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 8: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
B♯ · C𝄪 · F𝄪
Try B♯sus2 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯sus2 chord notes
Also known as Csus2
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 2 | Major second | 2 | C𝄪(C##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) |
How to use the B♯sus2 chord
The B♯sus2 chord is built from a root, a major second and a perfect fifth. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, C𝄪 and F𝄪. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Suspended second chords are a signature sound of modern pop, worship music, ambient and post-rock. They're commonly used as colour over a root chord or as an open alternative to major.
How B♯sus2 differs from similar chords
B♯sus2 replaces the third with a major second, so unlike B♯ or B♯m it is neither major nor minor. It is not B♯add9, which keeps the third and adds the ninth on top. Its three notes are the same as those of the sus4 chord built on its fifth.
Where B♯sus2 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯sus2 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♯sus2 chord?
- The B♯sus2 chord contains B♯, C𝄪 and F𝄪 (B#, C## and F## in plain text).
- Is the B♯sus2 chord major or minor?
- B♯sus2 is a suspended second chord. Suspended second chords sound open and airy. Replacing the third with a second removes the major/minor colour and leaves a hollow, modern feel used heavily in folk, indie and cinematic music.
- How do you play B♯sus2 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♯, C𝄪 and F𝄪 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 every note of B♯sus2 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, D and G.
- How do you play B♯sus2 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 8: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the B♯sus2 chord?
- B♯sus2 is enharmonically equivalent to Csus2. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.