B♭maj7 chord on guitar

B♭maj7 is B♭, D, F and A. The usual shape is x-1-3-2-3-1, a barre at the 1st fret. Tap Play, then slow it down.

x-1-3-2-3-1 · barre · hard

Notes: B♭ · D · F · A
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · 7
First shape: x-1-3-2-3-1

How to play B♭maj7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-1-3-2-3-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger lies flat over the 5 strings from the A string to the high E string, just behind the 1st fret wire.
A: middle finger, 2nd fret of the G string.
F: ring finger, 3rd fret of the D string.
D: pinky finger, 3rd fret of the B string.
Strum from the A string down; the low E string stays silent.

First-fret barres feel impossible at first. Practice the same shape at the 5th fret, where it is easier, then walk it down one fret a day.
Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.

Other ways to play B♭maj7

x-1-3-2-3-x: movable shape, medium. A small shape for quick changes and a lighter sound.
6-8-7-7-6-6: barre shape at the 6th fret, medium. Root on the 6th string: move it up or down and it names a different major seventh chord.
x-13-15-14-15-13: barre shape at the 13th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Amaj7 shape moved up the neck.

B♭maj7 the capo way

A capo turns an open chord into B♭maj7: capo on the 1st fret and play the open Amaj7 shape (x-0-2-1-2-0), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Gmaj7 shape (3-2-0-0-0-2), capo on the 5th fret and play the open Fmaj7 shape (x-x-3-2-1-0) or capo on the 6th fret and play the open Emaj7 shape (0-2-1-1-0-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

B♭maj7 chord changes

The chords B♭maj7 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

E♭maj7 (IV in B♭ major): B♭maj7 (x-1-3-2-3-1) to E♭maj7 (x-x-1-3-3-3): your index finger lands on the D string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the B string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for B♭ and D, which stay put while the rest moves. E♭maj7 on guitar
F7 (V in B♭ major): B♭maj7 (x-1-3-2-3-1) to F7 (1-3-1-2-1-1): your middle finger stays put, the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, the ring finger slides across to the A string at the same fret. Shared notes: F and A. F7 on guitar
Gm7 (vi in B♭ major): B♭maj7 (x-1-3-2-3-1) to Gm7 (3-5-3-3-3-3): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 3rd fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 5th fret. Shared notes: B♭, D and F. Gm7 on guitar

B♭maj7 is a major seventh chord: a major triad with the note a half step below the octave added. B♭maj7 works as a relaxed home chord; swap it in for plain B♭ at the end of a phrase. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice B♭maj7 in two minutes

Before strumming, play x-1-3-2-3-1 note by note: B♭ then F then A then D then F. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Finish by moving between x-1-3-2-3-1 and x-1-3-2-3-x to learn two positions of the same chord.

Written A♯maj7, it's the same chord with the same frets.

Where B♭maj7 shows up

In B♭ major, ii–V–I on guitar is Cm7 (x-3-5-3-4-3), F7 (1-3-1-2-1-1) and B♭maj7 (x-1-3-2-3-1). About the jazz cadence.

B♭maj7 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: B♭maj7 on piano and B♭maj7 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Next to try on guitar

Other major seventh chords

B♭maj7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in B♭maj7 on guitar?

B♭, D, F and A. In the x-1-3-2-3-1 shape the strings play B♭ (A string), F (D string), A (G string), D (B string) and F (high E string), so F is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play B♭maj7 on guitar?

B♭maj7 has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with x-1-3-2-3-x. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is B♭maj7 a barre chord on guitar?

Yes. x-1-3-2-3-1 has your index finger across the 1st fret. x-1-3-2-3-x avoids the barre.

Which string does B♭maj7 start on?

In the x-1-3-2-3-1 shape the lowest string you play is the A string at the 1st fret, which is B♭, the root. Skip the low E string.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside B♭maj7. Updated September 2026.