Bb Suspended 4th
Bbsus4
Notes
Bb · Eb · F
Intervals
- RootBb (1P)
- Perfect 4thEb (4P)
- Perfect 5thF (5P)
Fretboard
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About
The B♭sus4 chord (B♭–E♭–F) also replaces the third — this time with a perfect fourth. The fourth has a stronger gravitational pull than the second; in common-practice harmony it traditionally resolves downward to the third, making sus4 feel more like a delayed resolution than a neutral color. This makes it effective for rhythmic tension and release, especially in rock and gospel. The E♭ typically resolves to either B♭ (third raised) or B♭m (third lowered). On guitar the modification is often a single-finger addition or movement from a major shape; the fourth is the defining tone and must be present. Compared to B♭sus2, sus4 has a clearer sense of wanting to land somewhere.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
- B♭ Blues (deg 1)
- B♭ Harmonic Minor (I)
- B♭ Major (I)
- B♭ Melodic Minor (I)
- B♭ Minor Pentatonic (deg 1)
- B♭ Natural Minor (I)
- A♭ Diminished (deg 2)
- A♭ Major (II)
- A♭ Major Pentatonic (deg 2)
- A♭ Melodic Minor (II)
- C Blues (deg 6)
- C Minor Pentatonic (deg 5)
- C Natural Minor (VII)
- D♭ Major (VI)
- D♭ Major Pentatonic (deg 5)
- E♭ Diminished (deg 5)
- E♭ Harmonic Minor (V)
- E♭ Major (V)
- E♭ Major Pentatonic (deg 4)
- E♭ Melodic Minor (V)
- E♭ Natural Minor (V)
- F Blues (deg 3)
- F Minor Pentatonic (deg 3)
- F Natural Minor (IV)
- F♯ Major (III)
- G Natural Minor (III)
- B♭ Dorian (I)
- B♭ Mixolydian (I)
- B♭ Phrygian (I)
- A Locrian (II)
- A♭ Dorian (II)
- A♭ Lydian (II)
- A♭ Mixolydian (II)
- B Lydian (VII)
- C Dorian (VII)
- C Locrian (VII)
- C Phrygian (VII)
- D Locrian (VI)
- D Phrygian (VI)
- D♭ Lydian (VI)
- D♭ Mixolydian (VI)
- E♭ Dorian (V)
- E♭ Lydian (V)
- E♭ Mixolydian (V)
- F Dorian (IV)
- F Locrian (IV)
- F Mixolydian (IV)
- F Phrygian (IV)
- F♯ Lydian (III)
- G Locrian (III)
- G Phrygian (III)
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. Roman numeral marks the chord root’s position in the scale; dashed badges aren’t linked yet.