Standard
B♭ dominant seventh · A shape
B♭7 guitar chord
What it is
Root
Notes
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Chords20
Standard
B♭ dominant seventh added eleventh · Frets 1–3
Standard
B♭ dominant seventh added thirteenth · Frets 1–3
Standard
B♭ dominant seventh suspended fourth · Frets 1–4
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How to play B♭7 on guitar
The most common way, the first shape above: lay your index finger flat across the five strings from the A to the high E at the 1st fret, your ring finger on the D string at the 3rd fret and your little finger on the B string at the 3rd fret. Don’t play the low E string.
From the low E string x 1 3 1 3 1 (x: not played, 0: open)
An easier B♭7
The full shape is a barre chord, hard at first. This one needs no full barre and sounds much the same: your index finger on the D string at the 3rd fret, your middle finger on the G string at the 3rd fret, your ring finger on the B string at the 3rd fret and your little finger on the high E string at the 4th fret. Don’t play the low E and A strings.
x x 3 3 3 4
B♭7, the easier shape
StandardFrets 3–4 · 5th in bass · 4 strings
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.
More B♭ chords on guitar
B♭brightB♭msadB♭maj7dreamyB♭m7mellowB♭sus2openB♭sus4openB♭add9sweetA♯dimthe edgeB♭auguneasyB♭6sweetB♭m6bittersweetB♭9the pullB♭7sus4openB♭5rawA♯m7♭5the edgeA♯dim7the edgeEvery B♭ chord ›
Dominant seventh chords in every key
C7the pullC♯7the pullD7the pullE♭7the pullE7the pullF7the pullF♯7the pullG7the pullA♭7the pullA7the pullB7the pull