B dominant seventh (B7) chord on guitar

Looking for the B7 chord on guitar? It is a dominant seventh chord (a major triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: B – D♯ – F♯ – A.

Dots show:

Open positionmedium

A shape, fret 2medium

G shape, fret 4medium

E shape, fret 7medium

Position 7medium

D shape, fret 9medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the B7 chord sounds like

The dominant seventh sounds tense and wants to move on: the third and the minor seventh form a tritone that pulls towards the tonic. It is also the basic chord of the blues and early rock'n'roll.

Notes of the B7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B	root
3	D♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	F♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	A	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 2, little finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 2, ring finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (D♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B2)
String 6 (E): not played

A shape, fret 2, barre at fret 2

String 1 (e): fret 2, index finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, little finger (D♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, index finger (B2)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 2; your other fingers press the higher frets.

G shape, fret 4, barre at fret 4

String 1 (e): fret 5, middle finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, index finger (D♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 6, ring finger (D♯3)
String 6 (E): fret 7, little finger (B2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 4; your other fingers press the higher frets.

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing B7 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a B7 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 2
shape: A7

Capo: fret 4
shape: G7

Capo: fret 7
shape: E7

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The B7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E major: V7 (dominant)
E minor: V7 (dominant)
C♯ minor: VII7

Similar chords and substitutes

If B7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
E♭dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
B9 – a fuller dominant (with the ninth)
B7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
E – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

B – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
B5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
B13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B7 chord?

B, D♯, F♯, A. The root is B; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play B7 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a A7 shape at fret 2 or a G7 shape at fret 4.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some B7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (F♯) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.