What notes are in a Bmaj7 chord?

Bmaj7 contains four notes: B (root), D♯ (major third), F♯ (perfect fifth), and A♯ (major seventh).

How do you play Bmaj7 on guitar?

Most commonly a 2nd-fret A-shape barre: index across strings 5-1 on fret 2, ring finger on the 4th fret of the 4th string (D♯), middle finger on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string (F♯), pinky on the 4th fret of the 2nd string (A♯).

How is Bmaj7 different from B7?

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

What pieces use Bmaj7?

Many jazz vocal standards transposed to B for range: "Misty," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," and others. Less common in classical literature where C major or D major would be preferred.

B major 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

B major 7 (Bmaj7) — B, D♯, F♯, A♯ — is B major with a major 7th on top. The five-sharp key signature is dense but the chord shines on guitar in closed-position voicings starting from the 2nd fret. B major is a less common key in classical literature but appears regularly in jazz tunes transposed for vocal range.

Intervals

The B major 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#→A#major 3rd4 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

Common mistakes

Bmaj7 has A♯ as its 7th — the leading tone of B. Replacing A♯ with A natural produces B7 (dominant). The five-sharp signature is dense; sight-readers benefit from confirming the A♯ on neighbouring chords too. On guitar, Bmaj7 is most often a 2nd-fret A-shape barre with the 4th string adjusted to grab the A♯.

In context

Bmaj7 is the I chord in B major. The ii–V–I runs C♯m7 → F♯7 → Bmaj7. The chord also serves as IV of F♯ major and bVI of D♯ minor. Many jazz singers transpose tunes to B major because the key sits well for tenor and soprano voices; Bmaj7 then appears at every cadence.

Drill it

The B major 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.

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Frequently asked

What notes are in a Bmaj7 chord?: Bmaj7 contains four notes: B (root), D♯ (major third), F♯ (perfect fifth), and A♯ (major seventh).
How do you play Bmaj7 on guitar?: Most commonly a 2nd-fret A-shape barre: index across strings 5-1 on fret 2, ring finger on the 4th fret of the 4th string (D♯), middle finger on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string (F♯), pinky on the 4th fret of the 2nd string (A♯).
How is Bmaj7 different from B7?: Only the seventh changes. Bmaj7 has A♯; B7 has A natural. Bmaj7 sounds stable as a tonic; B7 sounds tense and pulls toward E.
What pieces use Bmaj7?: Many jazz vocal standards transposed to B for range: "Misty," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," and others. Less common in classical literature where C major or D major would be preferred.