B♭ seventh chord (B♭7)

B♭ seventh is a 4-note dominant seventh chord: B♭ – D – F – A♭. It sounds tense: it wants to resolve to another chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called A♯ seventh (A♯7).

NotesB♭ – D – F – A♭
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolB♭7 · B♭dom7
EnharmonicA♯ seventh (A♯7)

B♭ seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 1 (A shape)
Barre at fret 6 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 1)

Barre fret 1 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 3 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 3 of the 2nd string (B).
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (B♭). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

B♭ seventh on piano

In root position, play B♭ – D – F – A♭ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (B♭) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: D – F – A♭ – B♭
Second inversion: F – A♭ – B♭ – D
Third inversion: A♭ – B♭ – D – F

B♭ seventh on ukulele

From fret 1
From fret 2

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of B♭ seventh

B♭1 · root
D3 · major third
F5 · perfect fifth
A♭♭7 · minor seventh

It's the dominant chord (V7): it sets up the arrival at the tonic and is the foundation of blues, son and many song endings.

Progressions with B♭7

A dominant that resolves: V7 – I

B♭7 is the fifth degree of E♭ major: its tension wants to resolve to E♭.

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

The most common cadence in jazz and bossa nova.

Which keys contain B♭ seventh?

B♭7 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
E♭ major	V7
C natural minor	VII7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭ seventh chord?

B♭ seventh (B♭7) has 4 notes: B♭ (root), D (major third), F (perfect fifth), A♭ (minor seventh).

How do you play B♭ seventh on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 1: x 1 3 1 3 1 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre fret 1 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string. Finger 3 (ring) on fret 3 of the 4th string (D). Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 3 of the 2nd string (B). Don't play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

Is B♭7 the same as A♯7?

Yes: B♭ seventh and A♯ seventh sound the same and are played the same way (they are enharmonic). The spelling depends on the key of the song; you'll see both names in sheet music and songbooks.

What is the chord symbol for B-flat seventh?

It is written B♭7; you may also see B♭dom7. Letter chord notation uses these note names: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.

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