B7 Chord on Ukulele
B7 = B – D# – F# – A (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
B7 adds a flattened seventh, A, to the B major triad, and the ukulele shape rearranges the fingers slightly from plain B major to accommodate it: index finger on the G string's second fret, middle finger reaching to the C string's third fret, and a small barre with the ring finger across the E and A strings at the second fret. Rather than the ring finger doing the highest reach as it does in B major, here the middle finger takes that role, a small but real difference in hand shape between the two chords.
As a dominant seventh chord, B7 carries an unmistakable pull toward E major, functioning as the V7 chord of that key and creating one of the ukulele's most frequently used cadences whenever a song in E wants a strong, bluesy push back to its tonic. It also turns up constantly as a secondary dominant borrowed into other keys — commonly written V7/vi in the key of D, briefly pointing toward Em before the progression resolves there or moves elsewhere — giving otherwise plain diatonic material a moment of chromatic tension. Because the shape mixes three fretted notes at two different frets with no open strings, B7 has a tight, driven character that suits its restless, unresolved harmonic role well. Ukulele arrangements of older blues and early jazz standards lean on exactly this kind of dominant seventh sound, and B7 specifically shows up whenever an arrangement modulates or briefly visits E as a secondary key area.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Place the fingers in sequence: start with the barre across the E and A strings at the second fret, since it's the widest-reaching pair, then add the index finger on the G string's second fret, and finally the middle finger's stretch to the C string's third fret, which sits apart from the rest of the shape. Check that the middle finger's higher note isn't accidentally muting the barre's E-string note just below it, since the two sit close together on the neck. The most valuable drill for this chord is resolving it directly into E major, since B7's entire harmonic identity is built around wanting to move there, and getting that resolution to land cleanly on the beat matters more than holding B7 in isolation. Once that resolution feels automatic, try approaching B7 from a few different neighboring chords, since a dominant seventh needs to arrive smoothly from more than one direction in real song contexts.
Common Progressions
- V7 – I, resolving into E major (B7 – E)
- V7/vi – vi, a secondary dominant in the key of D (B7 – Em)
- ii – V7 – I, in the key of E (F#m – B7 – E)
- I – V7, borrowed briefly from E's own key center (E – B7)
FAQ
- How does B7's shape differ from plain B major?
- The middle finger takes over the higher stretch to the C string's third fret, while the ring finger moves down to share a barre with the index finger, a slightly different hand arrangement from B major's ring-finger reach.
- Where does B7 want to resolve?
- Into E major, as the V7 chord of that key — the flattened seventh creates a strong pull toward the chord a fourth above B7's root, making it one of the most common cadences on the instrument.
- How is B7 used inside a song that's mostly in D major?
- As a secondary dominant, typically written V7/vi, briefly pointing toward Em before the progression resolves there or continues elsewhere, adding a moment of chromatic tension to otherwise diatonic material.
- What's the best way to practice the B7 shape?
- Build the barre across the E and A strings first, then add the index finger, then the middle finger's higher reach last, and once it's solid, practice resolving straight into E major since that's the chord's whole purpose.
- Why does the middle finger take over the highest reach in B7 instead of the ring finger?
- Adding the flattened seventh changes which note lands where across the shape, and in this particular voicing that shift happens to land the widest stretch on the middle finger rather than on the ring finger the way it does in plain B major.
- Is B7 a chord worth learning before tackling plain B major?
- Either order works, since the two shapes share the same barre and a similar overall hand position, but many players find it useful to have B major's slightly simpler stretch solid first before adding B7's rearranged fingering on top.
B7 on other instruments: B7 on Guitar, B7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.