B♭ Major 7th Guitar Chord (B♭maj7)
B♭ major 7th is a four-note chord built from B♭ (the root), D (the major third), F (the perfect fifth), and A (the major seventh). It brings the gentle, nostalgic color heard all over 1970s soft rock, jazz standards, and modern bedroom pop. Below are 4 ways to play it in standard tuning, easiest shape first.
B♭maj7 chord shapes — standard tuning
How to play it
Place your index finger on the A (5th) string at fret 1, your middle finger on the high E (1st) string at fret 1, your ring finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 2, and your pinky finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 3. Let the D (4th) string ring open. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum — start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.
Once that shape is comfortable, try the other 3 voicings above — same notes, different neck positions and textures.
Notes in this chord
| Symbol | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| R | root | B♭ |
| 3 | major third | D |
| 5 | perfect fifth | F |
| 7 | major seventh | A |
Keep exploring
Other tunings
Open the interactive chord charts to see B♭maj7 in open G, drop D, DADGAD, and more tunings.
More B♭ chords
Nearby major 7th chords
B♭maj7 FAQ
What notes are in B♭maj7?
B♭maj7 contains B♭, D, F, and A — the root (B♭), the major third, the perfect fifth, and the major seventh.
Is B♭maj7 a barre chord?
Not necessarily. The easiest B♭maj7 shape (x-1-0-2-3-1) needs no barre — it uses 4 fingers plus open strings. Barre versions exist too, starting at fret 3, and are handy when you want to move the same grip to other keys.
What is the easiest way to play B♭maj7 on guitar?
Start with the open position shape x-1-0-2-3-1. Place your index finger on the A (5th) string at fret 1, your middle finger on the high E (1st) string at fret 1, your ring finger on the G (3rd) string at fret 2, and your pinky finger on the B (2nd) string at fret 3. Let the D (4th) string ring open. Keep the low E (6th) string out of the strum — start your downstroke from the A (5th) string.