About the B♭7 chord
The dominant seventh adds a flattened seventh to a major chord. It has a bluesy tension that wants to resolve, usually to the chord a fourth above. Blues and rock lean on it heavily. The symbol for it is B♭7. (also written A♯7)
How to play B♭7
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 5 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the D string at fret 3.
- Put your ring finger on the B string at fret 3.
- Strum and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of B♭ major
These are the chords built on each note of the B♭ major scale, so they all sound good together with B♭7. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other B♭ chords
B♭7 chord questions
What notes are in a B♭7 chord?
B♭7 is made of B♭, D, F and A♭. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, ♭7 above the root, B♭.
What is the easiest way to play B♭7?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 1 3 1 3 1 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is B♭7 a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.