B major seventh (Bmaj7) chord on mandolin

Major seventh chord (a major triad plus a major seventh) on B: the notes of the Bmaj7 chord are B – D♯ – F♯ – A♯.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4easy

Position 6medium

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 Bmaj7 chord sounds like

The major seventh chord sounds soft, dreamy and a little jazzy. The major seventh sits a half step below the root, so it rubs gently against it without needing to resolve.

Notes of the Bmaj7 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♯	major seventh (11 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 2, ring finger (F♯5)
String 2 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B4)
String 3 (D): fret 1, index finger (D♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, little finger (A♯3)

Position 4, barre at fret 4

String 1 (E): fret 6, little finger (A♯5)
String 2 (A): fret 6, ring finger (D♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)

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

Position 6

String 1 (E): fret 6, index finger (A♯5)
String 2 (A): fret 9, little finger (F♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 9, little finger (B4)
String 4 (G): fret 8, ring finger (D♯4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Bmaj7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B major: Imaj7 (tonic)
F♯ major: IVmaj7 (subdominant)
G♯ minor: IIImaj7
D♯ minor: VImaj7

Similar chords and substitutes

If Bmaj7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭m7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
E♭m7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
B6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

B – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

Bmaj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Bmaj7 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Bmaj7 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Position 4”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

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 Bmaj7 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.