Piano chord
B♭7sus4B flat seventh suspended fourth
- B♭1
- E♭4
- F5
- A♭♭7
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 10semitones
- Fingers
- 1-3-4-5
How to play B♭7sus4 on piano
- Find B♭: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on B♭, 3 on E♭, 4 on F, 5 on A♭.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on B♭, 3 on E♭, 2 on F, 1 on A♭.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · B♭ – E♭ – F – A♭
1st inversion · E♭ – F – A♭ – B♭
2nd inversion · F – A♭ – B♭ – E♭
3rd inversion · A♭ – B♭ – E♭ – F
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
B♭7sus4 inversions
Here are all 4 positions of B♭7sus4. The notes stay the same, only their order changes: root position has B♭ at the bottom, and every inversion starts on the next chord tone.
- Root positionbass: B♭Right hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
- 1st inversionbass: E♭Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 2nd inversionbass: FRight hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 3rd inversionbass: A♭Right hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
B♭7sus4 with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays B♭ an octave lower, the right hand plays B♭–E♭–F–A♭.
B♭7sus4 on other instruments
About the B♭7sus4 chord
The 4 notes of B flat seventh suspended fourth are B♭ (1), E♭ (4), F (5), A♭ (♭7). A seventh with a suspended fourth: the dominant seventh without its third, the fourth in its place. Used before the plain seventh chord or as a softer dominant.
Put your thumb on B♭ and count up: B♭ – E♭ – F – A♭. The whole chord spans 10 semitones from bottom to top. That fits inside an octave, so one hand covers B♭7sus4 without stretching.
The inversions of B♭7sus4 keep the same notes in a new order. In the 1st inversion the bass is E♭ (E♭–F–A♭–B♭). In the 2nd inversion the bass is F (F–A♭–B♭–E♭). In the 3rd inversion the bass is A♭ (A♭–B♭–E♭–F).
Add A♭ to B♭sus4 and you have B♭7sus4.
Questions
What notes are in the B♭7sus4 chord?
B♭7sus4 (B flat seventh suspended fourth) has 4 notes: B♭ (1), E♭ (4), F (5), A♭ (♭7).
How many inversions does B♭7sus4 have?
B♭7sus4 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (B♭–E♭–F–A♭); 1st inversion (E♭–F–A♭–B♭); 2nd inversion (F–A♭–B♭–E♭); 3rd inversion (A♭–B♭–E♭–F).
What is the difference between B♭7sus4 and B♭sus4?
Add A♭ to B♭sus4 and you have B♭7sus4.
Can I play B♭7sus4 with one hand?
Yes. In root position B♭7sus4 spans 10 semitones, less than an octave, so one hand holds it easily.