Bmaj7 Chord
How to play B major 7th on guitar — warm, dreamy and jazzy — a major chord with a soft top note.
- Notes
- B – D♯ – F♯ – A♯
- Frets (low → high)
- 7 9 8 8 7 7
- Difficulty
- Barre chord
- Shape
- Barre at fret 7
How to play Bmaj7, step by step
- 1Lay your index finger flat across all six strings at the 7th fret — this is the barre, and it works like a movable nut.
- 2Put your ring finger on the 9th fret of the A string (5th).
- 3Flatten your middle finger across the D and G strings at the 8th fret.
- 4Strum slowly and check every string sounds cleanly; if one buzzes, press closer to the fret wire and arch your fingers so they clear the neighbouring strings.
An easier way to play Bmaj7
Bmaj7 normally needs a barre, which is the single most common place beginners stall. A capo removes it entirely.
Put a capo on fret 2 and play an open Amaj7 shape. The capo raises every string by 2 semitones, so what your hand fingers as Amaj7 comes out of the guitar as Bmaj7 — the same chord, none of the strain.
What makes a major seventh chord
Warm, dreamy and jazzy — a major chord with a soft top note.
| Note | Interval | Semitones above B |
|---|---|---|
| B | root | 0 |
| D♯ | major 3rd | 4 |
| F♯ | 5th | 7 |
| A♯ | major 7th | 11 |
Other B chords
Same root, different colour. Swapping one of these into a progression is the quickest way to change its mood without changing the key.
Every major 7th chord
The same shape moved around the neck. If you can play Bmaj7 you are a fret-slide away from all of these.
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the Bmaj7 chord?
- Bmaj7 is made of B, D♯, F♯, A♯ — the root, major 3rd, 5th, major 7th of B.
- Is Bmaj7 hard to play?
- Bmaj7 is usually played as a barre chord at the 7th fret, which takes some hand strength. An easier route is a capo on fret 2 and the open Amaj7 shape — it sounds identical.
- How do I play Bmaj7 without a barre?
- Put a capo on fret 2 and play the open Amaj7 shape. The capo raises every string by 2 semitones, so the shape sounds as Bmaj7 while your hand does far less work.
Got a chart full of chords like Bmaj7?
Upload a chord sheet and move every chord into a key that fits your hands and your voice — the layout stays exactly as printed. Or let the capo calculator pick the position that turns the barre chords into open ones.