B♭7
Character: bluesy
- B♭Rtriad
- D3triad
- F5triad
- A♭♭7add
18 ways to play B♭7
Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.
- Triad note
- Substitute
- Added
- Anchored root
- Bass
- Doubling
Frets 1 1 0 1 x xNotes F B♭ D A♭Intervals 5 1 3 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x 11 12 10 11 xNotes A♭ D F B♭Intervals ♭7 3 5 1Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x 12 13 11 xNotes D A♭ B♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 1 3 3 3 4Notes F B♭ D A♭Intervals 5 1 3 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets x x x 3 3 4Notes B♭ D A♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 6 3 3 xNotes A♭ B♭ DIntervals ♭7 1 3Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x 1 3 1 3 1Notes B♭ F A♭ DIntervals 1 5 ♭7 3Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets 6 5 6 3 3 6Notes D A♭ B♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 4 5 3 3 x xNotes A♭ D F B♭Intervals ♭7 3 5 1Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 6 5 6 7 6 6Notes B♭ D A♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 6 8 8 7 6 4Notes B♭ D F A♭Intervals 1 3 5 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, root position
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 6 8 8 7 9 6Notes D A♭ B♭Intervals 3 ♭7 1Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 6 7 6 6Notes A♭ D F B♭Intervals ♭7 3 5 1Base triadB♭ major, 1st inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 6 x 8 7 9 xNotes B♭ D A♭Intervals 1 3 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, root position
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets 6 8 8 7 9 xNotes F B♭ D A♭Intervals 5 1 3 ♭7Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th gets a string of its own.
Frets 6 8 6 7 x xNotes B♭ F A♭ DIntervals 1 5 ♭7 3Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
Frets x x x 13 11 10Notes A♭ B♭ DIntervals ♭7 1 3Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The ♭7th takes the 5th’s string.
Frets x x 8 10 9 10Notes B♭ F A♭ DIntervals 1 5 ♭7 3Base triadB♭ major, 2nd inversion
The root drops to the string below the triad. The ♭7th takes the root’s string.
The construction rules B♭7 follows
Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
A third on top makes a 7th chord
A major 7th over a major triad is maj7, a ♭7 is a dominant 7. Over minor you get m7 or m(maj7); over diminished, m7♭5 or the °7, whose 7th is lowered twice.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.
The root can move down
When an extension needs the root’s string, the root can drop to the string below the triad: an anchored voicing keeps the bass and frees a string on top.
All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.
Dominant 7th in every key
More chords on B♭
B♭7 chord questions
What notes are in B♭7?
B♭7 is spelled B♭ D F A♭: B♭ is the root, D is the 3rd, F is the 5th, A♭ is the ♭7th.
What is the formula of B♭7?
1 3 5 ♭7. It is a B♭ major triad with the ♭7th stacked on top.
How many ways can you play B♭7 on guitar?
This page shows 18 voicings of B♭7, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.