C♭m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♭m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note C♭. Its notes are C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Bm(maj7).
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
- C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭ · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- C♭
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- C♭m(maj7)
C♭m(maj7) on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♭m(maj7) on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C♭, index finger on E𝄫, middle finger on G♭ and little finger on B♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭ and B♭ are black keys and C♭ and E𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♭1
- E𝄫♭3
- G♭5
- B♭7
C♭m(maj7) on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♭m(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 3. Strings 4 and 2 ring open. Don't play string 6.
C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭ · B♭
Play C♭m(maj7) on the online piano
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C♭m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as Bm(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E𝄫(Ebb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♭(Gb) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | B♭(Bb) |
How to use the C♭m(maj7) chord
The C♭m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Start at the root C♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B♭. 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 C♭m(maj7) differs from similar chords
C♭m(maj7) combines the minor third of C♭m with the major seventh of C♭maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in C♭m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between C♭m and C♭m7.
Where C♭m(maj7) is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key C♭m(maj7) would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♭m(maj7) chord?
- The C♭m(maj7) chord contains C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B♭ (Cb, Ebb, Gb and Bb in plain text).
- Is the C♭m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- C♭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 C♭m(maj7) on piano?
- Place your fingers on C♭, E𝄫, G♭ and B♭ 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 G♭ and B♭ are black keys and C♭ and E𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call B and D.
- How do you play C♭m(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 3. Strings 4 and 2 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♭m(maj7) chord?
- C♭m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to Bm(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.