B major seventh chord (Bmaj7)

B major seventh is a 4-note major seventh chord: B – D♯ – F♯ – A♯. It sounds soft, open and dreamy. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesB – D♯ – F♯ – A♯
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – 7
SymbolBmaj7 · BΔ7 · BM7 · B7M
TypeMajor seventh chord

B major seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 2 (A shape)
Fret 7 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 2)

Barre fret 2 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 4 of the 4th string (D).
Place finger 2 (middle) at fret 3 on string 3 (G).
Finger 4 (pinky) on fret 4 of string 2 (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 major 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 major seventh on ukulele

From fret 2
From fret 3

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 major seventh

B1 · root
D♯3 · major third
F♯5 · perfect fifth
A♯7 · major seventh

Widely used in bossa nova, jazz, ballads and pop: it adds color to the tonic or the fourth degree without creating strong tension.

Progressions with Bmaj7

Turnaround: Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7

A four-chord turnaround widely used in jazz, bossa nova and ballads, in B major.

A colorful fourth degree: Imaj7 – IVmaj7

Two major seventh chords that alternate to create a mellow mood.

Which keys contain B major seventh?

Bmaj7 belongs to 4 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
F♯ major	IVmaj7
B major	Imaj7
D♯ natural minor	VImaj7
G♯ natural minor	IIImaj7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B major seventh chord?

B major seventh (Bmaj7) has 4 notes: B (root), D♯ (major third), F♯ (perfect fifth), A♯ (major seventh).

How do you play B major seventh on guitar?

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

What is the chord symbol for B major seventh?

It is written Bmaj7; you may also see BΔ7, BM7, or B7M. Chord symbols use letter names for notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.

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