All chords › B › Major-family

B Major-family Chords

Major seventh and the colours stacked on top of it. These are the chords that sound settled and bright rather than restless.

9 chord types · 56 playable voicings · frets 1–15 · 16 use an open string

16 of the 56 shapes below let at least one string ring open, which usually makes them easier to hold and fuller to hear than the barred equivalents. The rest are movable grips. In the keys you are most likely to meet them, these chords sit as the I of B, the IV of E, and the V of F#.

Jump to: Bmaj7 · Badd9 · B6 · Bmaj9 · Bmaj11 · Bmaj13 · B6/9 · Bmaj7add11 · Bmaj7add13

Bmaj7

BEbF#Bb
8 shapes · open & play
X
O
2
1
4
3
X
1
3
2
4
1
X
X
6
4
3
2
1
7
1
4
2
3
1
1
X
X
9
1
2
3
4
X
X
11
4
1
1
1
X
11
4
3
1
1
1
X
X
13
2
1
4
3

Bmaj7 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of B major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor.

Progressions that actually use it: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (B major), Imaj7 – vi7 – ii7 – V7 (B major), vi7 – ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 (B major), i7 – VImaj7 – IIImaj7 – VII7 (Eb minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Bmaj7
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 3 0 2– 2 1 4 – 3
X 2 4 3 4 2– 1 3 2 4 1
X X 9 8 7 6– – 4 3 2 1
7 9 8 8 7 71 4 2 3 1 1
X X 9 11 11 11– – 1 2 3 4
X 14 X 11 11 11– 4 – 1 1 1
X 14 13 11 11 11– 4 3 1 1 1
X 14 13 15 X 14– 2 1 4 – 3

Badd9

BEbF#C#
6 shapes · open & play
X
X
2
1
3
4
X
4
4
1
1
1
1
X
X
4
4
1
1
2
X
X
7
3
2
1
4
X
O
11
4
1
1
2
X
11
4
1
1
3
2

Badd9 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of B major, V of E major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor, VII of C# minor.

Progressions that actually use it: Iadd9 – V – vi7 – IV (B major).

Fret and finger numbers for Badd9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 X 2 2– 2 1 – 3 4
7 4 4 4 4 X4 1 1 1 1 –
7 4 4 X 4 X4 1 1 – 2 –
X X 9 8 7 9– – 3 2 1 4
X 14 11 11 0 11– 4 1 1 – 2
X 14 11 11 12 11– 4 1 1 3 2

B6

BEbF#G#
7 shapes · open & play
X
O
2
1
1
3
X
2
1
1
4
3
O
4
4
3
1
1
2
X
X
4
4
1
2
3
4
4
3
1
1
1
1
X
X
6
2
4
1
3
X
X
9
1
3
2
4

B6 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of B major, V of E major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor, VII of C# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for B6
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 1 0 2– 2 1 1 – 3
X 2 1 1 4 2– 2 1 1 4 3
7 6 4 4 0 44 3 1 1 – 2
7 X 4 X 4 44 – 1 – 2 3
7 6 4 4 4 44 3 1 1 1 1
7 9 6 8 X X2 4 1 3 – –
X X 9 11 9 11– – 1 3 2 4

Bmaj9

BEbF#BbC#
3 shapes · open & play
X
2
1
4
3
3
4
4
1
1
1
1
3
X
11
4
1
1
1
1

Bmaj9 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of B major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bmaj9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 3 2 2– 2 1 4 3 3
7 4 4 4 4 64 1 1 1 1 3
X 14 11 11 11 11– 4 1 1 1 1

Bmaj11

BEbF#BbC#E
6 shapes · open & play
X
4
4
4
2
1
3
4
4
4
1
2
1
3
O
O
6
3
1
4
2
O
6
2
1
4
1
3
O
7
1
1
2
3
4
7
1
1
2
3
1
4

Bmaj11 is the I and the III chord of B major and G# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bmaj11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
7 7 X 6 4 64 4 – 2 1 3
7 7 4 6 4 64 4 1 2 1 3
7 6 8 6 0 03 1 4 2 – –
7 6 8 6 7 02 1 4 1 3 –
7 7 8 8 0 91 1 2 3 – 4
7 7 8 8 7 91 1 2 3 1 4

Bmaj13

BEbF#BbC#G#
2 shapes · open & play
6
3
1
1
1
4
2
7
1
3
2
2
4
4

Bmaj13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of B major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bmaj13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
7 6 6 6 7 63 1 1 1 4 2
7 9 8 8 9 91 3 2 2 4 4

B6/9

BEbF#G#C#
5 shapes · open & play
X
2
1
1
3
4
4
4
1
1
3
1
1
4
4
1
1
1
1
1
6
2
1
1
1
3
4
X
6
2
1
1
1
3

B6/9 turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of B major, V of E major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor, VII of C# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for B6/9
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 1 2 2– 2 1 1 3 4
7 4 4 6 4 44 1 1 3 1 1
7 4 4 4 4 44 1 1 1 1 1
7 6 6 6 7 72 1 1 1 3 4
7 6 6 6 7 X2 1 1 1 3 –

Bmaj7add11

BEbF#BbE
14 shapes · open & play
X
O
O
2
1
3
X
O
1
2
3
4
X
O
1
3
2
4
X
1
1
3
4
2
O
6
2
2
3
4
1
O
O
6
2
1
3
4
O
7
1
1
3
4
2
O
O
7
1
4
2
3
O
7
1
4
2
3
1
7
1
1
2
3
1
1
X
O
11
4
3
1
1
X
11
3
4
1
1
1
X
11
4
3
1
1
2
X
12
3
2
4
1
1

Bmaj7add11 is the I and the III chord of B major and G# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bmaj7add11
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 1 3 0 0– 2 1 3 – –
X 2 2 3 4 0– 1 2 3 4 –
X 2 4 3 4 0– 1 3 2 4 –
X 2 2 3 4 2– 1 1 3 4 2
7 7 8 8 0 62 2 3 4 – 1
7 6 8 8 0 02 1 3 4 – –
7 7 8 8 7 01 1 3 4 2 –
7 9 8 8 0 01 4 2 3 – –
7 9 8 8 7 01 4 2 3 1 –
7 7 8 8 7 71 1 2 3 1 1
X 14 13 11 11 0– 4 3 1 1 –
X 14 14 11 11 11– 3 4 1 1 1
X 14 13 11 11 12– 4 3 1 1 2
X 14 13 15 12 12– 3 2 4 1 1

Bmaj7add13

BEbF#BbG#
5 shapes · open & play
X
1
3
2
4
4
6
2
1
1
4
3
1
7
1
3
2
2
4
1
X
7
1
3
2
2
4
X
11
3
2
2
1
4

Bmaj7add13 turns up as the I, IV, VI, III chord across 4 keys: I of B major, IV of F# major, VI of Eb minor, III of G# minor.

Fret and finger numbers for Bmaj7add13
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
X 2 4 3 4 4– 1 3 2 4 4
7 6 6 8 7 62 1 1 4 3 1
7 9 8 8 9 71 3 2 2 4 1
7 9 8 8 9 X1 3 2 2 4 –
X 14 13 13 11 14– 3 2 2 1 4

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.