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B♭ 7th chord on guitar (B♭7)
Also called or written B♭7, B♭, B♭ Dominant 7th or B♭ Major Minor 7th
B♭ 7th contains B♭, D, F, and A♭. The 1st fret barre shape is a compact five-string grip that moves cleanly up the neck.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7
- Root positionB♭–D–F–A♭B♭7×-1-3-1-3-1
- First inversionD–F–A♭–B♭B♭7/D×-5-3-3-3-4
- Second inversionF–A♭–B♭–DB♭7/F1-1-0-1-3-×
- Third inversionA♭–B♭–D–FB♭7/A♭4-5-3-3-3-4
How do you play a B♭ 7th chord on guitar?
B♭ 7th is played at the 1st fret as × 1 3 1 3 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 3 | F (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret three strings cleanly while the ring and pinky stretch to the 3rd fret.
6th fret
B♭ 7th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 6 7 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8 and ring finger on the G string at fret 7.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 3 | D (3) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
8th fret
B♭ 7th is played at the 8th fret as × × 8 10 9 10: index finger on the D string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 10, middle finger on the B string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 3 | F (5) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (3) |
13th fret
B♭ 7th is played at the 13th fret as × 13 15 13 15 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the D string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 15. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 15 | 3 | F (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | 15 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
B♭7/D inversion
B♭ 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 3 3 3 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 5 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, adding a minor seventh to the B♭ major triad. The ♭7 creates the dominant pull that defines the chord. Compare it with B♭ major, which lacks that seventh.
What goes wrong with B♭ 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring, which adds a non-chord tone.
- Arching the barre finger so the G string sounds muted.
- Placing the pinky too far behind the fret, causing a buzz on the B string.
When to use it
B♭ 7th is the V chord in E♭ major, appearing in progressions like E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭ (I–IV–V–I). It fits blues, funk, and jazz comping. Resolve it to E♭ major.
Changing to and from B♭ 7th
- Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play B 7th.
- Move to E♭ major by lifting the barre and fretting the D string at the 1st fret, G string at the 3rd fret, and B string at the 2nd fret.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret barre is the default and keeps the root on the A string. The 6th fret barre adds the low E string for a heavier sound. The B♭7/D inversion puts D in the bass for a lighter, first-inversion feel.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ 7th written?
B♭ 7th is written as B♭7 or Bb7. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why is the low E string muted in the 1st fret shape?
The open E is not a chord tone of B♭ 7th, so it would add an outside note. Muting it keeps the voicing clean.
What is the difference between B♭ 7th and B♭ major?
B♭ 7th adds an A♭ note, the minor seventh, to the B♭ major triad. That note gives the chord its dominant tension.