Bmaj7 Chord on Guitar
Bmaj7 = B – D# – F# – A# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 7th)
Bmaj7 uses the A-shape major-seventh voicing at the second fret, X-2-4-3-4-2, with a four-string partial barre and two more fingers filling in the major third and major seventh on top: the notes are B, D-sharp, F-sharp and A-sharp. As with the A-shape minor voicing, only four strings get barred here, well short of the full six-string reach plain B major's E-shape version demands.
Bmaj7 softens plain B major's already tricky, forceful character into something more suspended and jazz-leaning — the major seventh interval adds the same unresolved shimmer it brings to any major triad, and because B major itself is rare as a home key on guitar, Bmaj7 shows up almost exclusively as a passing or color chord in progressions built around E major or F-sharp major. Jazz charts occasionally treat it as B major's tonic, though its more frequent job is standing in as F-sharp major's fourth-degree chord. Because the A-shape barre it uses only spans four strings rather than the full six-string reach of plain B major's E-shape barre, Bmaj7 is sometimes worth learning first, purely as a gentler introduction to holding a barre chord in this part of the neck. Because both common B-major barre shapes are genuinely difficult in different ways, some guitarists actually learn Bmaj7's four-string barre first and treat the full six-string plain-triad barre as the harder chord to grow into later.
Fingerings
Barre (7th fret)
How to Practice It
The four-string A-shape barre here is more manageable than the full six-string E-shape barre used for plain B major, which makes Bmaj7 worth learning even before the plain triad feels solid — some players find it easier to grasp barre technique through this shape first. As with Bm, isolate the barre alone before adding the middle and ring fingers, and pay attention to keeping those two fingers arched enough that they don't accidentally deaden the strings underneath them. Because the barre only spans four strings here, use Bmaj7 as an easier on-ramp to B minor's identical barre position — once the four-string barre feels secure under this shape, adding the extra fingers for Bm should feel like a small step rather than a new skill. Compare this shape directly against Bm and Bm7 at the same second-fret position, since all three share the identical four-string barre and only the top two fingers change — a useful way to feel how small adjustments create entirely different chord qualities. As a final step, try holding Bmaj7 through a slow four-bar progression that also includes plain B major, noticing how much less overall hand tension the four-string barre version demands compared to its six-string cousin.
Common Progressions
- Imaj7–IVmaj7 in B major: Bmaj7 – Emaj7
- IVmaj7 in F# major: F# – Bmaj7 – C#7
- Imaj7–vi–ii–V in B major: Bmaj7 – G#m7 – C#m7 – F#7
FAQ
- Is Bmaj7 easier than plain B major?
- For many players yes, if using the A-shape barre versions of both — but Bmaj7 specifically only needs a four-string barre versus the six-string barre the standard E-shape B major uses, which is where most of the perceived ease difference comes from.
- Where does Bmaj7 typically appear in songs?
- Almost always as a passing or color chord within progressions built around the guitar-friendly keys of E major or F-sharp major, rather than as a home key in its own right, since B major itself is rarely used as a tonic on guitar.
- What does the major seventh change about B major's sound?
- It replaces the fifth with a note a half-step below the root, adding a soft internal tension that keeps the chord from feeling fully resolved — the same effect a major seventh has on any major triad, just applied to an already less-common root.
- Is Bmaj7 worth learning if I rarely play in B major?
- Yes — because it appears constantly as a passing or color chord in the far more common keys of E major and F-sharp major, you'll likely need it long before you ever need a song built around B major as a home key. Because it shares its barre position with both Bm and Bm7, spending a practice session cycling through all three in sequence is an efficient way to internalize the whole A-shape family at the second fret in a single sitting.
Bmaj7 on other instruments: Bmaj7 on Piano, Bmaj7 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.