B♭maj7 mandolin chord

How to play B♭maj7 on mandolin

The most common way, the first shape above: your ring finger on the G string at the 3rd fret and your index finger on the E string at the 1st fret. Let the D and A strings ring open.

From the G string 3 0 0 1 (x: not played, 0: open)

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.