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B♭ major 7th chord on guitar (B♭maj7)
Also called or written B♭maj7 or B♭M7
B♭ major 7th contains B♭, D, F, and A. The 1st fret shape uses a barre across the first fret, making it a demanding grip.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionB♭–D–F–AB♭maj7×-1-3-2-3-1
- First inversionD–F–A–B♭B♭maj7/D×-5-3-3-3-5
- Second inversionF–A–B♭–DB♭maj7/F1-0-0-3-3-1
- Third inversionA–B♭–D–FB♭maj7/A×-0-0-3-3-1
How do you play a B♭ major 7th chord on guitar?
B♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as × 1 3 2 3 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 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) | 2 | 2 | A (7) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A string and high E cleanly while the pinky reaches the 3rd fret of the B string.
6th fret
B♭ major 7th is played at the 6th fret as 6 8 7 7 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, pinky finger on the A string at fret 8, middle finger on the D string at fret 7 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) | 7 | 2 | 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♭ major 7th is played at the 8th fret as × × 8 10 10 10: index finger on the D string at fret 8, middle finger on the G string at fret 10, ring finger on the B string at fret 10 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 | 2 | F (5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (3) |
13th fret
B♭ major 7th is played at the 13th fret as × 13 15 14 15 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the D string at fret 15, middle finger on the G string at fret 14 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) | 14 | 2 | A (7) |
| 2 (B) | 15 | 4 | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
B♭maj7/D inversion
B♭ major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as × 5 3 3 3 5: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 5 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) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 4 | A (7) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7. The major 7th interval from B♭ to A gives the chord its characteristic color. Compare it with B♭ major, which lacks the 7th.
What goes wrong with B♭ major 7th?
- Letting the low E string ring through adds an outside note.
- Under-barring the high E string causes a dead note.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the B string mutes the D.
When to use it
B♭ major 7th is the tonic in B♭ major, so it works in the I–IV–V–I progression B♭–E♭–F–B♭. It also suits the I–V–vi–IV of B♭–F–G minor–E♭. Use it for jazz, pop ballads, or any style needing a smooth major sound.
Changing to and from B♭ major 7th
- Sliding the 1st fret shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives B major 7th.
- Move to C major 7th by sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret shape keeps B♭ as the bass note and is the default. The 6th fret shape uses a barre for a fuller sound, while the 8th fret shape drops the low strings for a lighter texture.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ major 7th written?
B♭ major 7th is written as B♭M7 or B♭maj7. The ASCII root spelling is Bb. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between B♭ major 7th and B♭ major?
B♭ major 7th adds the A, a major 7th above B♭. B♭ major contains only B♭, D, and F.
Why does the 1st fret shape mute the low E string?
The low E is not a chord tone, so muting it prevents an outside note from sounding.