As a harmonic-minor tonicB♭ minor
The raised seventh inside the tonic is what lets F7 work as a real dominant in a minor key.
B♭m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♭m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note B♭. Its notes are B♭, D♭, F and A. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♯m(maj7).
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Short answer
Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- Notes
- B♭ · D♭ · F · A
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- B♭
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- B♭m(maj7)
B♭m(maj7) on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♭m(maj7) on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♭, index finger on D♭, middle finger on F and little finger on A. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard B♭ and D♭ are black keys and F and A are white. 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.
- B♭1
- D♭♭3
- F5
- A7
B♭m(maj7) on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♭m(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
B♭ · D♭ · F · A
Try B♭m(maj7) on the virtual piano
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B♭m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as A♯m(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♭(Bb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | D♭(Db) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | A |
How to use the B♭m(maj7) chord
The B♭m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Start at the root B♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♭, D♭, F and A. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor major seventh chords appear in line cliches, where the top voice of a minor chord walks down from the root through the major seventh. James Bond themes, bossa nova and minor-key jazz ballads are where you meet them.
How B♭m(maj7) differs from similar chords
B♭m(maj7) combines the minor third of B♭m with the major seventh of B♭maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in B♭m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between B♭m and B♭m7.
Where B♭m(maj7) 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 B♭m(maj7) chord?
- The B♭m(maj7) chord contains B♭, D♭, F and A (Bb, Db, F and A in plain text).
- Is the B♭m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- B♭m(maj7) is a minor major seventh chord. Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- How do you play B♭m(maj7) on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♭, D♭, F and A 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 B♭ and D♭ are black keys and F and A are white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play B♭m(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♭m(maj7) chord?
- B♭m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to A♯m(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.