B♭ dominant seventh (B♭7) chord on ukulele

Dominant seventh chord (a major triad plus a minor seventh) on B♭: the notes of the B♭7 chord are B♭ – D – F – A♭. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ dominant seventh (A♯7).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 3medium

Position 6medium

Position 10medium

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 B♭7 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 B♭7 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

Basic shape

String 1 (A): fret 1, ring finger (B♭4)
String 2 (E): fret 1, middle finger (F4)
String 3 (C): fret 2, little finger (D4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭4)

Position 3

String 1 (A): fret 5, little finger (D5)
String 2 (E): fret 4, middle finger (A♭4)
String 3 (C): fret 5, ring finger (F4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭4)

Position 6

String 1 (A): fret 8, little finger (F5)
String 2 (E): fret 6, index finger (B♭4)
String 3 (C): fret 8, ring finger (A♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 7, middle finger (D5)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The B♭7 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 B♭7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Ddim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
B♭9 – a fuller dominant (with the ninth)
B♭7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
E♭ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

B♭ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B♭9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
B♭11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
B♭13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭7 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 B♭7 on ukulele?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 4 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 B♭7 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.