B♭ Dominant 7th Guitar Chord (B♭7)
B♭7 is the jump-blues workhorse. Horn bands write in B♭ and the guitar answers with x13131, the A7 barre shape at the first fret.
B♭7 runs the anchovy special.
B♭7 chord shapes in standard tuning
How to play it
Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings (from the A (5th) string up) at fret 1. That barre is the backbone of this B♭7 shape. Then add your middle finger on the D (4th) string at fret 3 and your ring finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 3. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum. Start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.
Notes in this chord
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | B♭ |
| 3 | major third | D |
| 5 | perfect fifth | F |
| ♭7 | minor seventh | A♭ |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see B♭7 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More B♭ chords
Nearby dominant 7th chords
B♭7 FAQ
What notes are in B♭7?
B♭7 contains B♭, D, F, and A♭. That's the root (B♭), the major third, the perfect fifth, and the minor seventh.
Is B♭7 a barre chord?
The most common B♭7 shape (x-1-3-1-3-1) is a barre chord. Your index finger bars fret 1 across 5 strings. There is no standard open-position shape for this chord in standard tuning, but the diagrams above include every practical alternative up the neck.
What is the easiest way to play B♭7 on guitar?
Start with the barre · 1fr shape x-1-3-1-3-1. Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings (from the A (5th) string up) at fret 1. That barre is the backbone of this B♭7 shape. Then add your middle finger on the D (4th) string at fret 3 and your ring finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 3. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum. Start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.