Bsus2: B Suspended 2nd Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	B, C♯, F♯	1-3-5
Left	B, C♯, F♯	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	B	Perfect unison	0
2	C♯	Major second	2
5	F♯	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

B Suspended 2nd = Root + Major 2nd + Perfect 5th = B, C♯, F♯

Note	Interval	Degree
B	Root	1
C♯	Major 2nd	2
F♯	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
B	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
C♯	black	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
F♯	black	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on B, middle finger (3) on C♯, little finger (5) on F♯.

Left hand: little finger (5) on B, middle finger (3) on C♯, thumb (1) on F♯.

B Suspended 2nd Inversions

Root position
B – C♯ – F♯
1st inversion (Bsus2/C♯)
C♯ – F♯ – B
2nd inversion (Bsus2/F♯)
F♯ – B – C♯

Key Signature

A Suspended 2nd chord is built from symmetrical or ambiguous intervals, so it doesn't belong to a single key and has no key signature of its own.

Chords in the Key of B Major

These are the triads built on each degree of B Major:

I — B Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	B Major	Major
2	ii	C♯ Minor	Minor
3	iii	D♯ Minor	Minor
4	IV	E Major	Major
5	V	F♯ Major	Major
6	vi	G♯ Minor	Minor
7	vii°	A♯ Diminished	Diminished

Scales That Include the B Suspended 2nd

D Major (vi)
A Major (ii)
E Major (V)
B Major (I)
F# Major (IV)
B Minor (i)
F# Minor (iv)
C# Minor (VII)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes B – C♯ – F♯ aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

F♯ Suspended 4th→

B Suspended 2nd : Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in Bsus2?

Bsus2 contains B, C♯ and F♯. The formula is 1, 2, 5.

How do you play Bsus2 on piano?

Play B, C♯ and F♯ together. Right hand fingers 1, 3, 5; left hand 5, 3, 1. C♯ and F♯ are black keys; B is white.

What are the inversions of Bsus2?

3 positions: root position B C♯ F♯, Bsus2/C♯, Bsus2/F♯.

What is the difference between Bsus2 and Badd9?

Adds D♯. 3 of the notes are shared.

What is an easy Bsus2 for small hands?

The root and third only voicing, B3 C♯4, spans 2 semitones or about 28 mm.

What are the frequencies of Bsus2?

From B3 at A440 in 12-TET: 246.94, 277.18, 369.99 Hz.

What is the set class of Bsus2?

Prime form (027), Forte 3-9, interval vector <010020>.

How do I transpose Bsus2 to another key?

Keep the 1, 2, 5 formula on the new root. Csus2 is C, D, G; C♯sus2 is C♯, D♯, G♯.

Is C♭sus2 the same as Bsus2?

Enharmonically yes: the same piano keys and the same sound, spelled differently.

B Suspended 2nd in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	B3 C♯4 F♯4	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	C♯4 F♯4 B4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	F♯4 B4 C♯5	7	96 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	B2 F♯3 C♯4	14	193 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	B3 C♯4	2	28 mm	omits F♯	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	B	B3, C♯4, F♯4	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: Bsus2/C♯	C♯	C♯4, F♯4, B4	6/3	10	138 mm
Second inversion: Bsus2/F♯	F♯	F♯4, B4, C♯5	6/4	7	96 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
Badd9	adds D♯	1 3 5 9	3
B	C♯ becomes D♯	1 3 5	2
Bm	C♯ becomes D	1 ♭3 5	2
Bsus4	C♯ becomes E	1 4 5	2
Bmaj7	C♯ becomes D♯, A♯	1 3 5 7	2
B7	C♯ becomes D♯, A	1 3 5 ♭7	2
Bm7	C♯ becomes D, A	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	2
BmMaj7	C♯ becomes D, A♯	1 ♭3 5 7	2
B7sus4	C♯ becomes E, A	1 4 5 ♭7	2
B6	C♯ becomes D♯, G♯	1 3 5 6	2
Bm6	C♯ becomes D, G♯	1 ♭3 5 6	2
Bdim	C♯, F♯ becomes D, F	1 ♭3 ♭5	1

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
B3	59	246.94 Hz
C♯4	61	277.18 Hz
F♯4	66	369.99 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {11, 1, 6}
Normal order: [11, 1, 6]
Prime form: (027)
Forte number: 3-9
Interval vector: <010020>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
B to C♯	Major second	2	2
B to F♯	Perfect fifth	7	5
C♯ to F♯	Perfect fourth	5	5

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a suspended 2nd applied to the root B, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

B Suspended 2nd

Fingerings

B Suspended 2nd: notes and degrees