Bsus2sus4

Bsus2sus4 is B, C#, E and F#, a suspended second and fourth. The shape this page opens on is written x22422, lowest string first.

Also written Bsus2/4 or B suspended 2nd and 4th. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 4 common shapes for Bsus2sus4 on the guitar, and 23 derived voicings in 3 families.

In which keys. Every note of Bsus2sus4 belongs to C# minor (the ♭VII), D major (the vi), E major (the V), F# minor (the iv), Ab minor (the ♭III), A major (the ii), B major (the I) and B minor (the i).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x22422, 7746xx, 779979, x-14-11-11-12-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bsus2sus4 has xx2422, 2424xx, x4445x, xx9979, 9999xx, x-x-11-11-12-12, xx4657, 7746xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bsus2sus4 has x4x452, 2x242x, 7x465x, x7x677, 9x997x, x-9-x-9-12-9, 12-x-11-11-12-x, x-14-x-11-14-12.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Bsus2sus4 has xx4600, 0x460x, 0x4400.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.