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The Bsus2 chord on guitar, from four strings to the barre

Bsus2 is a B chord with no third. Where B major has D# and B minor has D, Bsus2 has C#, so it sounds open and undecided, neither happy nor sad. It is the Asus2 shape moved up two frets, which means a barre, but you can start on four strings with no bass note at all and add the rest one string at a time.

Bsus2 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: B suspended second
  • Symbol: Bsus2
  • Notes: B, C#, F#

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
Bsus2, top four strings xx4422 F# B C# F# The lightest version: no bass note to aim for. F# is the lowest note, so it sounds airy.
Bsus2, with the B bass x2442x B F# B C# Adds B on the A string so the chord stands on its root. The high E stays silent.
Bsus2, full barre x24422 B F# B C# F# The standard Bsus2: Asus2 moved up two frets, the first finger as the nut.
Bsus2, high up xx9679 B C# F# C# Four strings around the seventh fret, with C# on top. A bright, ringing voicing.
Bsus2, top four strings x x 4 4 2 2 · · 3 4 1 1 fingers
Bsus2, with the B bass x 2 4 4 2 x · 1 3 4 1 · fingers
Bsus2, full barre x 2 4 4 2 2 · 1 3 4 1 1 fingers
Bsus2, high up x x 9 6 7 9 · · 4 1 2 3 fingers

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

Bsus2 on the neck: every B, C#, F#

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Bsus2: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Bsus2.

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
2 - B
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
3 - G
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
4 - D
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
5 - A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
6 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E

How to play Bsus2, one layer at a time

1. Four strings: xx4422

Lay the first finger flat across the B and high E strings at fret 2. Third finger on the D string at fret 4, fourth finger on the G string at fret 4. Strum the top four strings. You hear F#, B, C# and F#: a complete Bsus2, with F# at the bottom.

2. Add the root: x2442x

Stretch the first finger further so it also covers the A string at fret 2. That note is B, and the chord now rests on its root. Leave the high E out for now: the first finger only has to press the A and B strings.

3. The full barre: x24422

Let the first finger lie flat from the A string to the high E. It presses three notes, B, C# and F#, while the third and fourth fingers hold the D and G strings at fret 4. Keep the low E silent with the tip of the first finger.

x24422 is the open Asus2, x02200, moved up two frets, with the first finger replacing the nut. If you know Asus2, you already know this shape.

B, Bm and Bsus2: the B string decides

The three barre shapes are identical except for one finger on the B string. Play them in a row and listen to that single note.

Chord Shape B string Sound
B x24442 Fret 4, D# Major, bright
Bm x24432 Fret 3, D Minor, dark
Bsus2 x24422 Fret 2, C# Open, undecided
Bsus4 x24452 Fret 5, E Suspended, wants to resolve

Bsus2 is the easiest of the four: the B string simply rests under the barre, so the fourth finger has nothing to add. If C# disappears when you strum, the barre is not pressing the B string. Roll the first finger slightly onto its bony edge.

Changes to practice with Bsus2

Bsus2 works as a color around B or Bm. Because it has no third, it can sit between the two without clashing with either.

Change Shapes What to listen for
B, Bsus2, B x24442, x24422, x24442 The fourth finger lifts off the B string and comes back.
Bsus2 to Bm x24422 to x24432 C# rises to D: the chord turns minor.
E, Bsus2, A, E 022100, x24422, x02220, 022100 I, V, IV, I in E with an open V. Keep the strum steady.
Bsus2, B, Bsus4, B x24422, x24442, x24452, x24442 The B string walks C#, D#, E, D#. The classic sus movement.

For the version with the third kept and C# added, see Badd9 and Bm(add9). The same sus2 idea is easier to hear in open position on Dsus2 and Esus2.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Bsus2 on guitar?
The standard shape is x24422: first finger across the second fret from the A string down, third finger on the D string at fret 4, fourth finger on the G string at fret 4. Do not play the low E. For an easier start, play only the top four strings: xx4422.
What notes are in a Bsus2 chord?
Three: B, C# and F#. B is the root, C# the second and F# the fifth. There is no third, neither D# nor D.
Is Bsus2 major or minor?
Neither. Major and minor are decided by the third, D# for B major and D for B minor, and Bsus2 has no third. That is why it fits in place of either B or Bm.
What is the difference between Bsus2 and Badd9?
Badd9 keeps the major third, D#, and adds C#. Bsus2 removes the third and puts C# in its place. Badd9 still sounds clearly major; Bsus2 sounds open and undecided.
Why does my Bsus2 sound wrong?
Usually because the C# on the B string is muted, or the low E is ringing. The C# sits under the first finger, so make sure the barre presses there. And aim the strum at the A string, or skip the bass entirely with xx4422.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.