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B♭ major 7th chord on ukulele (B♭maj7)
Also called or written B♭maj7 or B♭M7
B♭ major 7th is built from B♭, D, F and A. The open position uses three fretted notes and one open string, making it a stretch for smaller hands.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionB♭–D–F–AB♭maj710-10-10-12
- First inversionD–F–A–B♭B♭maj7/D3-2-1-0
- Second inversionF–A–B♭–DB♭maj7/F3-5-5-5
- Third inversionA–B♭–D–FB♭maj7/A2-2-1-1
How do you play a B♭ major 7th chord on ukulele?
B♭ major 7th is played in open position as 3 2 1 0: ring finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 2 and index finger on the E string at fret 1. The A string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 2 | D (3) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (5) |
| 1 (A) | open | — | A (7) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires an independent stretch from the index on fret 1 to the ring on fret 3 while keeping the A string open.
B♭maj7/F inversion
B♭ major 7th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 5 5 5: index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 5, ring finger on the E string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 2 | F (5) |
| 2 (E) | 5 | 3 | A (7) |
| 1 (A) | 5 | 4 | D (3) |
10th fret
B♭ major 7th is played at the 10th fret as 10 10 10 12: barre your index finger across fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| 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) | 12 | 4 | A (7) |
B♭maj7/D inversion · B♭ on top
B♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 2 2 1 1: ring finger on the G string at fret 2, pinky finger on the C string at fret 2, index finger on the E string at fret 1 and middle finger on the A string at fret 1.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 2 | 3 | A (7) |
| 3 (C) | 2 | 4 | D (3) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (5) |
| 1 (A) | 1 | 2 | B♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
B♭ major 7th combines a B♭ major triad (B♭–D–F) with a major seventh (A). The A is the interval that gives the chord its characteristic shimmer. Compare it with B♭ major, which lacks the seventh and sounds more direct.
What goes wrong with B♭ major 7th?
- Letting the ring finger lean on the C string, which mutes it.
- Fretting the E string too far from the fret, causing a buzz.
- Strumming the open A string too hard, overpowering the chord.
When to use it
B♭ major 7th is the tonic in B♭ major, so it anchors progressions like B♭–E♭–F–B♭, the I–IV–V–I. It also works in the I–V–vi–IV loop of B♭–F–G minor–E♭. Use it for warm jazz or R&B where the seventh adds color.
Changing to and from B♭ major 7th
- From B♭ major 7th, move the ring finger from fret 3 to fret 2 and lift the middle to get B♭ major.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives C major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The open position keeps B♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The B♭maj7/A inversion at 2-2-1-1 puts A in the bass, which makes the chord feel more suspended. The 3rd fret voicing is a movable shape when you need a higher register.
Other B♭ chords
Common questions
How is B♭ major 7th written?
B♭ major 7th is written B♭M7 or B♭maj7. The ASCII root is Bb, so you may see BbM7 or Bbmaj7. 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 note A to the B♭ major triad. That seventh gives the chord a softer, more floating quality than the plain major chord.
Why does the B♭maj7/A inversion sound different?
The B♭maj7/A inversion places A in the bass instead of B♭. This makes the chord less stable and often leads to E♭ major or F major.