Also written B♭7, B♭ or B♭ Dominant 7th
B♭ 7th is built from B♭, D, F, and A♭. The default voicing spreads across the first three frets and demands careful finger placement.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
B♭ 7th uses the formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7. The minor 7th interval from B♭ to A♭ gives the chord its dominant quality. Compare it to B♭ major, which lacks the ♭7.
B♭ 7th is the V chord in E♭ major, resolving to E♭ major in progressions like I–IV–V–I (E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭). Use it in blues, jazz, and rock to add tension before resolution. It also works as a passing chord to C minor.
The default B♭7/D inversion puts D in the bass for a lighter sound. For a fuller voicing, use the 10th fret position with B♭ in the bass. The B♭7/F inversion at fret 3 offers a middle register.
B♭ 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 2 1 1: index finger on the G string at fret 1, pinky finger on the C string at fret 2, middle finger on the E string at fret 1 and ring finger on the A string at fret 1.
Tip — The pinky must reach fret 2 on the C string while the other fingers hold fret 1 cleanly.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 4 | D (3) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | F (5) |
| 1 (A) | 1 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
B♭ 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 5 4 5: index finger on the G string at fret 3, ring finger on the C string at fret 5, middle finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 5.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 3 | F (5) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (3) |
B♭ 7th is played at the 6th fret as 7 8 6 8: middle finger on the G string at fret 7, ring finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (3) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 3 | A♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (E) | 6 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 4 | F (5) |
B♭ 7th is played at the 10th fret as 10 10 10 11: barre your index finger across fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (5) |
| 3 (C) | 10 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (3) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (♭7) |
B♭ 7th is written as B♭7, or as Bb7 in ASCII. It is also called Dominant 7th or Major Minor 7th. It is also spelled A♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
B♭ major contains B♭, D, and F. B♭ 7th adds A♭, the minor 7th, which creates a tritone with D and gives the chord its dominant pull.
The tritone between D and A♭ creates dissonance that wants to resolve. In E♭ major, B♭ 7th resolves to E♭ major.
Yes, the 10th fret voicing uses a barre and has B♭ in the bass. It sounds fuller and is good for chord melody.