B Dominant 7th
Open PositionThe classic open B7 — index on D fret 1, middle on A fret 2, ring on G fret 2, pinky on high e fret 2. The B string rings open. Mute the low E. One of the most recognisable open dominant 7th voicings on guitar.
B Dominant 7th
7th FretE-shape barre chord at fret 7. Barre all six strings at fret 7 with the index; ring on A fret 9, middle on G fret 8. A moveable dominant 7th shape with the root on the low E string.
B Dominant 7th
2nd FretA-shape barre chord rooted on B at the 2nd fret. Barre fret 2 with the index; ring on D fret 4, pinky on B fret 4. Mute the low E. A compact low-position dominant 7th voicing.
B Dominant 7th
11th PositionCompact shell voicing on the inner four strings — 3rd (D#) on D fret 13, ♭7th (A) on G fret 14, root (B) on B fret 12, 3rd (D#) on high e fret 11. No barre — captures the tritone tension of B7 cleanly.
B Dominant 7th
9th FretD7-shape moveable voicing — the open D7 chord slid up nine frets. D string fret 9 (root), G fret 11 (5th), B fret 10 (♭7th), high e fret 11 (3rd). No barre required.
Tips for Playing the B7 Chord
Build from B major
If you know the open B major barre (x-2-4-4-4-2), B7 releases the ring finger from B fret 4 and lets the B string ring open as the doubled root while revealing A on G string fret 2 as the ♭7th.
Four fingers for the open B7
The open B7 uses all four fingers at once — index on D fret 1, middle on A fret 2, ring on G fret 2, pinky on high e fret 2. Keep your fingers curled and arched to let the open B string ring freely.
B7 resolves to E
The B7 → E progression is one of the most common V→I resolutions in folk, country, blues, and rock. B7 creates unmistakable pull toward E major — practise this move with both the open voicing and the E-shape barre.
Blues in E uses B7
In a 12-bar blues in E, the three chords are E7, A7, and B7. B7 is the V chord that provides the climactic tension before the return to E7. The open B7 is the authentic sound of this classic progression.
A-shape barre at fret 2
The A-shape barre at fret 2 (x-2-4-2-4-2) is a clean, low-position alternative to the open B7. It sits right next to the open voicing on the neck and is often easier to sustain cleanly in a fast progression.
Shell voicing at the 11th position
The x-x-13-14-12-11 shell voicing captures the B7 tritone (D# and A) on the inner strings. Though high on the neck, the ascending finger pattern is consistent with all other shell voicings in the dominant cycle.
About the B7 Chord on Guitar
The B7 chord is built from four notes: B (the root), D# (the major 3rd), F# (the perfect 5th), and A (the minor 7th). It is the B major triad with an added flat 7th — and one of the most recognisable open dominant 7th chords on guitar, distinguished by its angular four-finger spread across the neck. The tritone tension between D# and A resolves powerfully to E major, making B7 one of the most-used chords in folk, country, blues, and rock. In the key of E major, B7 is the V chord — the tension chord that drives resolutions back to E. The open B7 is slightly more demanding than open E7 or A7 due to the four-finger stretch, but it is a foundational chord for any guitarist. This page covers five voicings, from the familiar open B7 to barre and jazz shell shapes. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 B7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Open position, E-shape barre, A-shape barre, shell voicing, and D7-shape moveable form
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the B Dominant 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every dominant 7th chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.