Standard
B♭ major seventh · A shape
B♭maj7 guitar chord
What it is
Root
Notes
8 results
Best match1Exact match
Chords7
Standard
B♭ major seventh suspended second · Frets 1–3
Standard
B♭ major seventh flat five · Open position
Standard
B♭ major seventh sharp eleven · Open position
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How to play B♭maj7 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, your middle finger on the G string at the 2nd 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 2 3 1 (x: not played, 0: open)
An easier B♭maj7
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 5th fret. Don’t play the low E and A strings.
x x 3 3 3 5
B♭maj7, the easier shape
StandardFrets 3–5 · 5th in bass · 4 strings
What notes are in B♭maj7?
B♭maj7, B♭ major seventh, is B♭, D, F and A: the root (B♭), the major third (D), the perfect fifth (F) and the major seventh (A). Its formula is 1 3 5 7.
Are B♭maj7 and B♭7 the same?
No. B♭maj7 has the major seventh, A, a half step below the root; B♭7 has the minor seventh, A♭. B♭maj7 sounds calm and open, the sound of jazz ballads and bossa nova; B♭7 sounds like it has somewhere to go.
Can I play B♭ instead of B♭maj7?
Yes. B♭maj7 is B♭ with A added, so B♭ does the same job with a plainer sound.
Keys with B♭maj7
B♭maj7 is the IVmaj7 chord in F major, the Imaj7 chord in B♭ major, the VImaj7 chord in D minor and the IIImaj7 chord in G minor.
More B♭ chords on guitar
B♭brightB♭msadB♭7the pullB♭m7mellowB♭sus2openB♭sus4openB♭add9sweetA♯dimthe edgeB♭auguneasyB♭6sweetB♭m6bittersweetB♭9the pullB♭7sus4openB♭5rawA♯m7♭5the edgeA♯dim7the edgeEvery B♭ chord ›
Major seventh chords in every key
Cmaj7dreamyD♭maj7dreamyDmaj7dreamyE♭maj7dreamyEmaj7dreamyFmaj7dreamyG♭maj7dreamyGmaj7dreamyA♭maj7dreamyAmaj7dreamyBmaj7dreamy
B♭maj7 on other instruments
7-string guitar8-string guitarBass5-string bass6-string bass7-string bass8-string bassUkuleleMandolinBanjo