B♭7 5-string bass chord

How to play B♭7 on 5-string bass

The most common way, the first shape above: your middle finger on the E string at the 6th fret, your index finger on the A string at the 5th fret, your ring finger on the D string at the 6th fret and your little finger on the G string at the 7th fret. Don’t play the B string.

From the B string x 6 5 6 7 (x: not played, 0: open)

What notes are in B♭7?

B♭7, B♭ dominant seventh, is B♭, D, F and A♭: the root (B♭), the major third (D), the perfect fifth (F) and the minor seventh (A♭). Its formula is 1 3 5 ♭7.

Are B♭7 and B♭maj7 the same?

No. Both add a seventh to B♭, but B♭7 adds the minor seventh, A♭, and B♭maj7 the major seventh, A. B♭7 sounds restless and wants to move on; B♭maj7 sounds settled and dreamy.

Can I play B♭ instead of B♭7?

Usually, yes: the song still works, with less pull. B♭7 is a dominant seventh, the V7 of E♭ major, and its D and A♭ lead straight into E♭.

Keys with B♭7

B♭7 is the V7 chord in E♭ major and the VII7 chord in C minor, and the V7 of E♭ minor, the major fifth chord from its harmonic minor scale.