How to Play a B7 Chord on the Guitar

Co-authored by Aaron Asghari

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

The B7 is a key chord for any guitarists, specifically if you ever play the blues. It is dark and melodic, and can be played in several different places across the neck of the guitar.

Steps

1
Barre all the strings from the 5th string down on the 2nd fret. Use your index finger to barre the second fret, ignoring the thick E string on top.
- Don't forget that guitar strings count up from the bottom. The thing string is the 1st one, the thickest the 6th string.
- Shortcut: If you know the B-major chord, you only have to remove one finger to get an B7. Remove your finger from the 3rd string and leave it open. You've now got a B7^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
2
Place your ring finger on the 4th fret of the D string. If you remember how to form an open A7 chord, your fingers will be in the same shape. If not, simply use your ring finger to fret the 4th fret on the 3rd string.

Advertisement
3
Leave the 5th string, the G, open. Just let the barred 2nd fret ring out instead of fretting it further down. Make sure you can here this barred string cleanly.
4
Fret down the 4th fret of the B string with your pinky. This takes some beginners some practice, but is a great way to start training your fifth finger. This is the second thinnest string on the guitar. Leave the string below it, the high-e, open.
- Make sure that your ring finger doesn't mute these string accidentally.
5
Strum all of the strings except the sixth to play your B7. Strum out every string by the top one to sound out your beautiful B7.
- --2--
- --4--
- --2--
- --4--
- --2--
- --X--^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
6
Use your index finger to barre over an open-E7 form to make any chord a seventh. If you know an open E7, you can simply move this form down the neck to the B, barre it, and have your B7. This only works for chords starting on the sixth string, but this makes it easy to play a seventh chord anywhere. Imagine that the open strings were actually a barred fret -- they are all the same "fret" being sounded out in your chord. This means your other two fingers will make any chord "barred" a 7th. Since the B fall on the 7th fret, your B7 barre chord would look like:
- --7--
- --7--
- --8--
- --7--
- --9--
- --7--

Expert Q&A

Question

How do you play a G chord?

Aaron Asghari
Professional Guitarist & Instructor
Aaron Asghari is a Professional Guitarist and the lead guitarist of The Ghost Next Door. He received his degree in Guitar Performance from the Guitar Institute of Technology program in Los Angeles. In addition to writing and performing with The Ghost Next Door, he is the founder and primary guitar instructor of Asghari Guitar Lessons.

Aaron Asghari

Professional Guitarist & Instructor

Expert Answer

Start by placing your second finger on the third fret of the low E string. Place your first finger on the second fret of the A string. Then, place your third finger on the third fret of the high E string. To play the chord, strum through all six strings with a flicking motion.