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B Major 7th Chord
The B Major 7th Chord is B, D-sharp, F-sharp, and A-sharp, with only the thumb on a white key. The A-sharp on top sits just a half step below the next B, which gives the chord its soft, open quality.
How to play the B Major 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the B Major 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The B Major 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the B major 7th chord are stacked in thirds with B on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| B Major 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B D♯ F♯ A♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bmaj7 |
The B Major 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (D♯) becomes the bottom note, and the root (B) jumps up to the top.
| B Major 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | D♯ F♯ A♯ B |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bmaj6/5 or Bmaj7/D♯ |
The B Major 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (F♯) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (D♯) goes to the top.
| B Major 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | F♯ A♯ B D♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bmaj4/3 or Bmaj7/F♯ |
The B Major 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (A♯) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (F♯) goes to the top.
| B Major 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | A♯ B D♯ F♯ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | Bmaj4/2 or Bmaj7/A♯ |
B Major 7th Chord theory and function
The major 7th adds the note a half step below the octave, which gives the chord a soft, open sound with a little friction in it. In Baroque and Classical music it appears as a passing seventh inside a sequence, and in Romantic and Impressionist music it is used as a color chord on the tonic and the subdominant.
The B major 7th chord is the tonic (Imaj7) in B major. In minor keys, it is the mediant (IIImaj7) in G♯ minor.
The cadence to recognize is ii7 – V7 – I. In B major that is C♯m7 – F♯7 – Bmaj7, where the tonic is colored with its seventh. In a sequence the seventh leans down by step into the next chord, and in a color chord it is left hanging for a moment before the music moves on. Try playing B and then Bmaj7 and listen to what the added note does.
Other chords built on B
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