B minor seventh chord (Bm7)

B minor seventh is a 4-note minor seventh chord: B – D – F♯ – A. It sounds relaxed, warm and a little melancholic. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesB – D – F♯ – A
Formula1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolBm7 · Bmin7 · B-7
TypeMinor seventh chord

B minor seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 2 (A shape)
Barre at fret 7 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 2)

Barre fret 2 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 4 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 3 of the 2nd string (B).
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (B). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

B minor seventh on piano

In root position, play B – D – F♯ – A from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (B) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: D – F♯ – A – B
Second inversion: F♯ – A – B – D
Third inversion: A – B – D – F♯

B minor seventh on ukulele

From fret 2
From fret 2

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of B minor seventh

B1 · root
D♭3 · minor third
F♯5 · perfect fifth
A♭7 · minor seventh

It's the second degree of the jazz ii–V–I progression and shows up in salsa, funk, neo soul and pop.

Progressions with Bm7

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

Bm7 is the second degree of A major.

Two-chord vamp: i7 – IV7

A typical funk, soul and salsa groove.

Which keys contain B minor seventh?

Bm7 belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
D major	vi7
G major	iii7
A major	ii7
E natural minor	v7
F♯ natural minor	iv7
B natural minor	i7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B minor seventh chord?

B minor seventh (Bm7) has 4 notes: B (root), D (minor third), F♯ (perfect fifth), A (minor seventh).

How do you play B minor seventh on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 2: x 2 4 2 3 2 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre fret 2 with your index finger, from the 5th to the 1st string. Place finger 3 (ring) on fret 4 of the 4th string (D). Place finger 2 (middle) on fret 3 of the 2nd string (B). Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

What is the chord symbol for B minor seventh?

It is written Bm7; you may also see Bmin7 or B-7. Letter chord notation uses these note names: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.

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