Bb7 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a - m - i · Smooth Bossa (2/4 · 6 notes · Level 2)
From the bass on the 5th to the 1st string there are 4 different notes. Six plucks give time to hear them. All 6 arpeggios
Subtle syncopation and oscillating timbre.
Bb7 is built from Bb, D, F and Ab. Bb is the root, D the major third, F the fifth and Ab the minor seventh. Said aloud, its notes are B flat, D, F and A flat.
From the low string to the high one you hear Bb, F, Ab, D and F. The note heard most is F, twice. It is not the root but the fifth. The lowest note is Bb on string 5 and the highest is F on string 1.
The main Bb7 shape needs a barre at fret 1 across five strings. Avoid string 6. Everything fits between frets 1 and 3. Besides the main one there are two more shapes, at frets 6 and 8.
Bb is one change away. String 3 moves from fret 1 to fret 3, bringing in Bb, the root of Bb. It shares two notes with Gm, Bb and D. Going to Fm, three positions stay the same. It can also be written A#7, and it sounds the same.
You will find Bb7 in two different keys. In Eb major it is the V7 and in Eb minor the V7.
Bb 1D 3F 5Ab ♭7
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 1 (Bb)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 1. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 3, 2nd String (B) at fret 3. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 6. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 8, 3rd String (G) at fret 7.
Placement tip: Press: 4th String (D) at fret 8 with your Index finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 10 with your Ring finger, 2nd String (B) at fret 9 with your Middle finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 10 with your Pinky finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E), 5th String (A).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | 1 to 3 |
| Barre | fret 1, from the 5th to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 3 |
| Open | none |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 1, only the barre sounds the 5th, 3rd, and 1st strings.
Listen: Bb7 → Bb · Fm · Gm
Bb7 sits in the scale of 2 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Bb7 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Bb7 chord is its root note: Bb. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 1.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Bb7 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 formula (Dominant Seventh). Its constituent pitches are Bb, D, F, Ab.
To prevent fret buzz on the Bb7 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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