B♭sus2 5-string bass chord

How to play B♭sus2 on 5-string bass

The most common way, the first shape above: your index finger on the B string at the 1st fret, your middle finger on the E string at the 1st fret and your ring finger on the A string at the 1st fret. Don’t play the D and G strings.

From the B string 1 1 1 x x (x: not played, 0: open)

What notes are in B♭sus2?

B♭sus2, B♭ suspended second, is B♭, C and F: the root (B♭), the major second (C) and the perfect fifth (F). Its formula is 1 2 5.

Is B♭sus2 the same as B♭add9?

No, though the names point at the same extra note, C. B♭sus2 leaves out the third, so it is neither major nor minor; B♭add9 keeps the third, D, and adds the ninth on top.

Where does B♭sus2 go?

Often back to B♭ or B♭m, C moving up to the third. It also works on its own as an open, ringing chord.