How to play B dominant 7th add 13 chord on guitar
Shape 704444
Shape characteristics
Barre chord
Your first finger flattens across multiple strings at the same fret. Movable up and down the neck to any key without changing the shape.
Mid-neck · fret 4-7
Balanced tone, with neither the ringing openness of first position nor the bright snap of the upper register. Common choice for rhythm work when you want a fuller, more compact sound.
Full six-string voicing
All six strings ring, giving you the biggest, most resonant version of this chord, ideal for strumming and solo acoustic contexts.
Bass: B · Top: G♯
The root is in the bass, so the chord sounds grounded and stable. This is the natural starting voicing for most progressions.
Compared to Shape 766x75 , this voicing uses a partial barre and sits higher on the neck (starting at fret 5) and drops 1 string for a tighter, more compact sound.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 4th fret of the 1st string, 2nd string, 3rd string, and 4th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 4th finger on the 7th fret of the 6th string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "704444" mean?
The sequence 704444 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this B dominant 7th add 13 shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a B dominant 7th add 13 chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for B dominant 7th add 13. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
How do I stop my fingers from buzzing?
Since this shape uses open strings (marked with '0'), make sure your fingers are arched like a "claw" so they don't accidentally brush against the open strings. Press down firmly just behind the metal fret wires for the clearest sound.
Other shapes
Showing 5 of 5 playable shapes