B♭ 7sus4 (B♭7sus4) chord on piano

7sus4 chord (a sus4 chord plus a minor seventh) on B♭: the notes of the B♭7sus4 chord are B♭ – E♭ – F – A♭. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ 7sus4 (A♯7sus4).

Root position: B♭3 – E♭4 – F4 – A♭4

Chord finder Transposer

What the B♭7sus4 chord sounds like

A 7sus4 is a suspended dominant seventh: a fourth replaces the third. It is less tense than a plain 7 chord and popular in funk, jazz and modern pop.

Notes of the B♭7sus4 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B♭	root
4	E♭	perfect fourth (5 semitones)
5	F	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	A♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)

Root position and inversions

An inversion uses the same notes, with a different note at the bottom. When you change chords, choosing the nearest inversion keeps your hand almost still.

Root position

B♭3 – E♭4 – F4 – A♭4

1st inversion

E♭4 – F4 – A♭4 – B♭4

2nd inversion

F4 – A♭4 – B♭4 – E♭5

3rd inversion

A♭4 – B♭4 – E♭5 – F5

Which keys is it in?

The B♭7sus4 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B♭ minor: I7sus4 (tonic)
E♭ major: V7sus4 (dominant)
E♭ minor: V7sus4 (dominant)
F minor: IV7sus4 (subdominant)
G♭ major: III7sus4
D♭ major: VI7sus4
A♭ major: II7sus4
C minor: VII7sus4

Similar chords and substitutes

If B♭7sus4 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Ddim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
B♭7 – a simpler dominant
E♭ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

B♭sus4 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B♭11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭7sus4 chord?

B♭, E♭, F, A♭. The root is B♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

How do I play the B♭7sus4 chord on piano?

In root position, the right hand usually plays with fingers 1, 3 and 5 (thumb, middle finger, little finger); four-note chords with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5. The left hand mirrors this: 5, 3, 1. In an inversion the top or bottom note moves to the other side, so your hand moves less when you change chords.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.