As the vi in a major keyC♯ major
- Imaj7C♯maj7
- vi7A♯m7
- ii7D♯m7
- V7G♯7
A turnaround. A♯m7 is the relative minor of C♯, which softens the way back to the tonic.
A♯m7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♯m7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note A♯. Its notes are A♯, C♯, E♯ and G♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as B♭m7.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- Notes
- A♯ · C♯ · E♯ · G♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10
- Note
- A♯
- Quality
- Minor 7
- Symbol
- A♯m7
A♯m7 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♯m7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♯, index finger on C♯, middle finger on E♯ and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯, C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E♯ is white, the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♯1
- C♯♭3
- E♯5
- G♯♭7
A♯m7 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♯m7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 6: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
A♯ · C♯ · E♯ · G♯
Try A♯m7 on the virtual piano
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A♯m7 chord notes
Also known as B♭m7
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♯(A#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C♯(C#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G♯(G#) |
How to use the A♯m7 chord
The A♯m7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root A♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A♯, C♯, E♯ and G♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor seventh chords are foundational in jazz, funk, neo-soul and R&B. They're typically the iim7, iiim7 or vim7 chord of a major key and the i7 of a minor key.
In major keys A♯m7 is the iii7 in F♯ major and the vi7 in C♯ major; in minor keys it's the v7 in D♯ minor and the i7 in A♯ minor.
How A♯m7 differs from similar chords
A♯m7 puts a minor seventh on a minor triad, which separates it from A♯m(maj7), whose seventh is a half step higher and much sharper. Compared with A♯m7♭5, it keeps a perfect fifth, so it sounds relaxed rather than tense. Its upper three notes form the major triad a minor third above the root, which is why it blends so easily with major chords.
Where A♯m7 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the A♯m7 chord?
- The A♯m7 chord contains A♯, C♯, E♯ and G♯ (A#, C#, E# and G# in plain text).
- Is the A♯m7 chord major or minor?
- A♯m7 is a minor seventh chord. Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- What key is the A♯m7 chord in?
- In major keys A♯m7 is the iii7 in F♯ major and the vi7 in C♯ major; in minor keys it's the v7 in D♯ minor and the i7 in A♯ minor.
- How do you play A♯m7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A♯, C♯, E♯ and G♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard A♯, C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E♯ is white, the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♯m7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 6: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the A♯m7 chord?
- A♯m7 is enharmonically equivalent to B♭m7. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.