Scale degrees · B major
The 7 of B is A♯
The 7 (seven) of B is A♯ (A sharp): a major seventh above the root.
B — the root, 1A♯ — the 7
How to find it
Count letters first, the root included: B, C, D, E, F, G, A. A 7th lands on A.
Then the sound: a major seventh is 11 semitones above B, and the A that is 11 semitones up is A♯.
That is why it is A♯ and not B♭: B♭ is the same key on the piano, but from B it would be an unison, not a 7th.
Where you meet it
The 7 is a half step below the root: the major seventh, the 7th of the maj7 chord and the leading tone of the key.
In Bmaj7:
B · D♯ · F♯ · A♯
The 7 in every key
| Key | The 7 |
|---|---|
| C | B |
| G | F♯ |
| D | C♯ |
| A | G♯ |
| E | D♯ |
| B | A♯ |
| F♯ | E♯ |
| D♭ | C |
| A♭ | G |
| E♭ | D |
| B♭ | A |
| F | E |
Every degree of B
Free on iPhone and Android
Name it before
you can count it.
Improvy trains every degree in all 12 keys — the 3, the ♭7, the ♯11 — until you see the note without working it out. A few minutes a day. Free to start; Pro is one payment, never a subscription.
Or try the 60-second test in your browser