Bmaj7#5

Bmaj7#5 is B, D#, G and A#, a major seven sharp five. The shape this page opens on is written x21303, lowest string first.

Note by note. B is the root, D# is the major third, G is the sharp fifth and A# is the major seventh.

Also written BM7#5, BΔ7#5, B+M7 or Bmaj7(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Bmaj7#5 on the guitar, and 26 derived voicings in 3 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Bmaj7#5 and you have Bmaj7 (with one note moved), Bmaj7b5 (with one note moved), Baug (with one note taken away) or Baug7 (with one note moved).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x21303, x2534x, xx5446, 76808x, xx9886, 7x8887, x-x-9-12-11-11, x-14-13-12-11-11.

Under the hand. 1 of the 8 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 1 open string with 1 left unplayed. 1 of the 8 needs a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 14th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Bmaj7#5 has x2x343, 7x888x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Bmaj7#5 has 3213xx, x1100x, xx1303, xx5446, 6654xx, xx8887, x-13-13-12-12-x, 15-14-13-15-x-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Bmaj7#5 has 3x130x, x2x343, x6x486, 6x544x, x-10-x-8-11-7, 7x888x, 11-x-9-12-11-x, x-13-x-12-12-11.

Tensions. A shell of Bmaj7#5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 9 (C#), the #11 (E#) and the 13 (G#).

What kind of chord this is. Bmaj7#5 is a major chord — root, major third, fifth. major chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.