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Chord · Reference entry

B Add 4

Add 4 · B – D♯ – E – F♯

The B Add 4 chord (Badd4) contains the notes B, D♯, E, and F♯. Its interval formula is 1 3 4 5. A major triad plus the 4th — open and unresolved, like a sus chord but with the 3rd intact.

At the keyboard

B · D# · E · F#
Maintained by Justin Evans, a pianist of 25 years
Maintained for accuracy · Last updated July 2026 · How we review
Flashcards · Chord
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B

The B Add 4 chord is a four-note chord made up of B, D♯, E, and F♯.

Construction

B Add 4 = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 4th + Perfect 5th = B · D♯ · E · F♯
NoteIntervalDegree
BRoot1
D♯Major 3rd3
EPerfect 4th4
F♯Perfect 5th5

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the B Add 4 is the tonic (I) chord of B Major, whose key signature has 5 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯).

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of B Major

These are the triads built on each degree of the B major scale:

C1C2C3C4BC5C6C7C8D♯F♯
I — B Major (major)
DegreeNumeralChordQuality
1IB MajorMajor
2iiC♯ MinorMinor
3iiiD♯ MinorMinor
4IVE MajorMajor
5VF♯ MajorMajor
6viG♯ MinorMinor
7vii°A♯ DiminishedDiminished

B Add 4 — Frequently Asked Questions

What is the B Add 4 chord on piano?
The B Add 4 chord contains the notes B – D♯ – E – F♯. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

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References & Further Reading

The note names, intervals, fingering, and harmony on this chord page are grounded in the following sources. Public domain treatises and scores are linked to their full text; primary data is piano.org's own interval-derived reference dataset — continuously maintained and human-verified, with no fixed publication date.

  1. 1

    Riemann, Hugo(1896)

    Harmony Simplified (English translation)

    Public domain treatise
  2. 2

    George Grove (ed.)(1900)

    A Dictionary of Music and Musicians

    Public domain treatise
  3. 3

    Jadassohn, Salomon(1883)

    A Manual of Harmony

    Public domain treatise
  4. 4

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