B♭sus4 chord on piano
B♭sus4 is B♭, E♭ and F. B♭ sits on the last black key of the group of three. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · B♭–E♭–F · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- B♭ · E♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 4 · 5
How to play B♭sus4 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from B♭: 5 half steps up to E♭ then 2 half steps up to F. Press the 3 keys together and that's B♭sus4.
- Right hand: 1 on B♭, 3 on E♭ and 5 on F.
- Left hand: 5 on B♭, 3 on E♭ and 1 on F.
- On the keyboard it's black, black and white keys.
B♭sus4 inversions
- root position: B♭–E♭–F. Right hand 1-3-5.
- 1st inversion: E♭–F–B♭, E♭ lowest. RH 1-2-5.
- 2nd inversion: F–B♭–E♭, F lowest. Fingers 1-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let B♭sus4 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Moving between B♭sus4 and its neighbours
Songs rarely hold B♭sus4 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- B♭ (resolves down to the third): B♭sus4 to B♭: play B♭ in root position (B♭–D–F) and B♭ and F stay under the same fingers, while E♭ moves down to D. B♭ on piano
- E♭ (IV in B♭ major): B♭sus4 to E♭: play E♭ in 2nd inversion (B♭–E♭–G) and B♭ and E♭ stay under the same fingers, while F moves up to G. E♭ on piano
- F (V in B♭ major): B♭sus4 to F: play F in 1st inversion (A–C–F) and F stays under the same finger, while B♭ moves down to A and E♭ down to C. F on piano
B♭sus4 lifts the third up to the fourth. B♭sus4 holds the fourth where the third should be; drop it a half step or whole step into B♭ or B♭m to resolve. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
Practice B♭sus4 in two minutes
Roll the chord up and back down, B♭, E♭, F, E♭, B♭, before playing it as a block. Finish with the inversions in order: B♭–E♭–F; E♭–F–B♭; F–B♭–E♭.
The keys of B♭sus4
B♭sus4 is a suspended fourth chord, 1–4–5 from B♭. Root position, from the bottom: how B♭sus4 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭ | black key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| E♭ | black key | RH 3 · LH 3 | perfect fourth |
| F | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | perfect fifth |
You may also see it as A♯sus4; nothing changes on the piano.
Keys and progressions with B♭sus4
B♭sus4 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try B♭sus4 on ukulele or B♭sus4 on guitar, or compare them on the B♭sus4 chord page.
Related B♭ chords on piano
Other suspended fourth chords
B♭sus4 on piano: questions
What notes are in B♭sus4 on piano?
B♭, E♭ and F: B♭ (black key), E♭ (black key) and F (white key). Right hand 1-3-5, left hand 5-3-1.
How do you play B♭sus4 on piano?
Press B♭, E♭ and F together (2 black, 1 white). Right hand: 1 on B♭, 3 on E♭ and 5 on F.
What are the inversions of B♭sus4?
1st inversion (E♭–F–B♭) and 2nd inversion (F–B♭–E♭), after root position (B♭–E♭–F). Only the lowest note changes.
What does B♭sus4 look like on the keyboard?
black, black and white keys.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside B♭sus4. Updated September 2026.