What notes are in a B7 chord?

B7 contains four notes: B (root), D♯ (major third), F♯ (perfect fifth), and A (minor seventh).

How do you play B7 on guitar?

The standard open B7 voicing is x21202: mute the low E, B on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, D♯ on the 1st fret of the 4th string, open string 3 (G is not in the chord but is muted by adjacent fingers in practice), A on the open 5th string... For most players, an A-shape barre at the 2nd fret with the 4th-string note adjusted is the cleanest closed-position voicing.

How is B7 different from Bmaj7?

Only the seventh changes. B7 has A natural; Bmaj7 has A♯. B7 sounds bluesy and pulls toward E; Bmaj7 sits stably as a tonic.

Every E-major and E-minor cadence in jazz, folk, and rock. "Blackbird" by The Beatles (in G major but with related dominant voicings), countless E-major blues turnarounds, and any E-rooted folk song.

B dominant 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

B dominant 7 (B7) — B, D♯, F♯, A — is B major with a minor 7th. On guitar, the open B7 voicing (x21202) uses open strings cleverly to produce one of the easiest first-position B-rooted chords. The chord is the V7 of E major and the V7 of E minor. Every E-major and E-minor blues cadence uses B7.

Intervals

The B dominant 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

B→D#major 3rd4 semitones
D#→F#minor 3rd3 semitones
F#→Aminor 3rd3 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the B dominant 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the B dominant 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

1B
3D#
5F#
♭7A

Common mistakes

B7 has A natural as its 7th — a half-step lower than Bmaj7 (which has A♯). Replacing A with A♯ produces Bmaj7 (a stable tonic chord). On guitar, the open B7 voicing (x21202) makes the chord accessible without needing a full barre; the F♯ and B sound on open strings.

In context

B7 is the V7 of E major (B7 → Emaj7 is the cadence in every E-major jazz tune and most E-major blues turnarounds) and the V7 of E minor (B7 → Em is the cadence in E minor). In ii–V–I in E major, the progression runs F♯m7 → B7 → Emaj7. The 12-bar blues in E uses E7, A7, B7.

Drill it

The B dominant 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in a B7 chord?: B7 contains four notes: B (root), D♯ (major third), F♯ (perfect fifth), and A (minor seventh).
How do you play B7 on guitar?: The standard open B7 voicing is x21202: mute the low E, B on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, D♯ on the 1st fret of the 4th string, open string 3 (G is not in the chord but is muted by adjacent fingers in practice), A on the open 5th string... For most players, an A-shape barre at the 2nd fret with the 4th-string note adjusted is the cleanest closed-position voicing.
How is B7 different from Bmaj7?: Only the seventh changes. B7 has A natural; Bmaj7 has A♯. B7 sounds bluesy and pulls toward E; Bmaj7 sits stably as a tonic.
What pieces use B7?: Every E-major and E-minor cadence in jazz, folk, and rock. "Blackbird" by The Beatles (in G major but with related dominant voicings), countless E-major blues turnarounds, and any E-rooted folk song.