Banjo B♭7 chord (C Tuning)B♭ seventh on the 5-string banjo: 2 1 3 3, and 5 more shapes
Frets, string 4 to string 1: 2 1 3 3 (first position) · no root
- String 4 (C): 2nd fret, middle finger, D
- String 3 (G): 1st fret, index finger, A♭
- String 2 (B): 3rd fret, ring finger, D
- String 1 (D): 3rd fret, little finger, F
- String 5, the short g: open, G, not in the chord
Sounds: D A♭ D F · B♭7 is B♭, D, F, A♭ (1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7)
The 5th string: the short g rubs against the A♭ in this shape, a semitone away: some players let it ring, some skip it.
With a capo: on the 3rd fret it’s 2 0 0 3 (frets counted from the capo), an open G7 shape. Spike the 5th string at the 8th fret to keep it in tune with the capo.
C Tuning tuning: gCGBD, the short 5th string first, then strings 4 to 1.
The link can’t set the tuning: the app starts in open G. Choose C Tuning once in its Settings and it remembers.
More B♭7 shapes
- 5 3 3 6
3fr - 8 7 6 8
6fr - 10 10 9 0
9fr - 14 13 11 12
11fr · no 5th - 14 13 15 15
13fr · no root
Other B♭ chords in C Tuning
Other seventh chords
B♭7 in other tunings
All C Tuning banjo chords · Printable chart (PDF) · How to tune · The app