How do you play the B sus4/E chord?

To play the B sus4/E chord on piano, play the B sus4 chord (B, E and F#) with E as the lowest bass note. Place the E note below the other chord tones. Slash chords specify a particular bass note different from the chord root.

What is a slash chord?

A slash chord (or compound chord) is written as Chord/Bass and specifies both a chord and a bass note. The note to the right of the slash is played as the lowest note. The B sus4/E chord means a B sus4 chord with E in the bass.

B sus4/E

Q: What notes are in the B sus4/E chord?

The B sus4/E chord uses the 3 notes of the B sus4 chord — B (Perfect unison), E (Perfect fourth) and F# (Perfect fifth) — with E played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The B sus4 chord consists of the B (Perfect unison), E (Perfect fourth) and F# (Perfect fifth) notes, with E as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a B sus4/E chord

How to play the B sus4/E chord

Play E as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find B (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add E (Perfect fourth) — 5 semitones above B
Add F# (Perfect fifth) — 7 semitones above B
Press all 4 notes simultaneously to sound the B sus4/E chord

Inversions with same root

E sus2
E 5(add9)

Related chords with different root

F# 11(sus4)
B sus4

Related slash chords

B 5/E