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B♭ augmented major 7th chord on guitar (B♭augMaj7)
Also called or written B♭augMaj7, B♭augM7, B♭+M7, B♭M7#5, B♭maj+7, B♭ augmented major seventh or B♭ major seventh sharp five
B♭ augmented major 7th contains B♭, D, F♯, and A. The open D string rings between fretted notes on the A and G strings, creating a wide stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7
- Root positionB♭–D–F♯–AB♭augMaj7×-1-0-2-3-2
- First inversionD–F♯–A–B♭B♭augMaj7/D×-5-4-3-3-5
- Second inversionF♯–A–B♭–DB♭augMaj7/F♯2-0-0-3-3-2
- Third inversionA–B♭–D–F♯B♭augMaj7/A×-0-0-3-3-2
How do you play a B♭ augmented major 7th chord on guitar?
B♭ augmented major 7th is played in open position as × 1 0 2 3 2: index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. The D string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | F♯ (♯5) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 3rd fret on the B string while the index finger holds the 1st fret on the A string, creating a wide stretch.
B♭augM7/D inversion
B♭ augmented major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 4 3 3 5: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 5 | 3 | D (3) |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 2 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (7) |
B♭augM7/F♯ inversion · F♯ on top
B♭ augmented major 7th is played in open position as 2 0 0 3 3 2: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The A and D strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (7) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (♯5) |
B♭augM7/F♯ inversion · D on top
B♭ augmented major 7th is played in open position as 2 1 0 2 3 ×: middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, index finger on the A string at fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3. The D string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (3) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
B♭augM7/F♯ inversion · A on top
B♭ augmented major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × × 4 3 3 5: ring finger on the D string at fret 4, index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 5. 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) | 4 | 3 | F♯ (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 2 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (7) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ augmented major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, 7. The augmented 5th, F♯, is what separates it from the B♭ major 7th, where the 5th is F natural. The major 3rd and major 7th remain unchanged.
What goes wrong with B♭ augmented major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring instead of muting it.
- Fretting the B string with the ring finger instead of the pinky, causing the note to go flat.
- Allowing the middle finger to touch the B string, muting the 3rd fret note.
When to use it
B♭ augmented major 7th works as a substitute for B♭ major 7th when the melody moves to the ♯5. It fits jazz ballads and passages that need a brighter, more restless major sound.
Changing to and from B♭ augmented major 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret gives A augmented major 7th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 4th fret gives B augmented major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open voicing keeps B♭ in the bass and is easiest to reach. The D inversion starting on the 5th fret puts the major 3rd in the bass and gives a tighter, higher register.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ augmented major 7th written?
B♭ augmented major 7th is written B♭+M7, M7#5, maj+7, or B♭augM7. The ASCII root is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ augmented major 7th and B♭ augmented?
B♭ augmented major 7th adds the major 7th, A, to the B♭ augmented triad B♭–D–F♯. The 7th creates a leading tone back to B♭ major.
Why does the open E string get muted?
The open E string is muted because E is not a chord tone in B♭ augmented major 7th. Playing it would add an unintended 5th below the root.