Bb7 Guitar Chord

Bb7 is the B flat dominant seventh chord, also written A#7. It has four notes: B♭, D, F and A♭. There is no open shape for it, so the standard version is a five string barre at the 1st fret, and this page also includes a four string shape with no barre at all.

A five string barre at fret 1 in the A7 grip, with ring and pinky at fret 3 on the D and B strings. Movable: two frets up it becomes C7.

How to play Bb7, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the A to high E strings at fret 1
Ring finger: 3rd fret, D string
Pinky finger: 3rd fret, B string
Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

If the fret 1 barre fights back, start with the no barre shape at fret 8 and come back once your index has built some strength. Barres get easier fast.

More ways to play Bb7

There are 3 common Bb7 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Bb7 guitar chord diagram, easier, no barre, played x x 8 10 9 10 — Easier, no barre

Bb7 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 6, played 686766 — Barre at fret 6

Songs that use the Bb7 chord

Bb7Eb D7 Gm7 Fm7 Cm7
Learn this song(opens a new tab on our partner site)

When Bb7 buzzes or chokes

Notes under the barre buzz: Fret 1 is where the strings resist most. Slide the index right up against the fret wire and tilt it a touch onto its firmer outside edge.
G string goes silent: The barre has to sound the G string on its own, and the underside of the ring finger above it often gets in the way. Arch the ring and pinky over the G.
Low E leaks in: It does not belong to the chord. Let the tip of the index poke past the A string just enough to touch the low E, or start the strum below it.

What makes it a Bb7

B♭ · D · F · A♭ 1 3 5 ♭7

Bb7 is a B flat major triad (B♭, D, F) plus a minor seventh (A♭). The A♭ leans against the D and the pair collapses into an E flat chord, one fourth up, which makes Bb7 the V7 of E flat major and E flat minor. Those are favorite keys for horn sections, so Bb7 shows up all over soul, gospel and jazz, music written around brass rather than around open guitar strings. It also serves as the home chord of blues in B flat.

Bb vs Bb7

Both chords barre the same five strings at fret 1. B flat major stacks a second barre, or three cramped fingers, on the 3rd fret; Bb7 spreads the work out, putting ring and pinky on separate strings with the A♭ ringing between them. Many players find Bb7 the more comfortable of the two. Musically, plain Bb rests where Bb7 pushes on toward Eb.

Bb7 chord questions

Is Bb7 a hard chord?

The standard shape needs a barre at the 1st fret, which is the stiffest place to hold one. The four string shape at fret 8 gives you the same chord with no barre while you build up to it.

Can I play Bb7 without a barre?

Yes. The compact shape at frets 8 to 10 covers all four chord tones with one finger per string.

Is A#7 the same as Bb7?

Yes, identical notes and shapes. Sheet music in flat keys writes Bb7; sharp key contexts occasionally spell it A#7.

What does Bb7 resolve to?

E flat. Bb7 is the dominant (V) chord of Eb major and Eb minor, and the home chord of blues in Bb.

Why does Bb7 show up so much in soul and jazz?

Horn instruments favor flat keys like Eb and Bb, so music arranged around brass lands on Bb7 constantly. Let's Get It On rides this exact pull back to Eb.