G♭m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♭m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note G♭. Its notes are G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and F. It's enharmonically the same chord as F♯m(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
- G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- G♭
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- G♭m(maj7)
G♭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 G♭m(maj7) on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♭, index finger on B𝄫, middle finger on D♭ and little finger on F. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭ and D♭ are black keys and B𝄫 and F are white. B𝄫 is the key you'd normally call A. 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.
- G♭1
- B𝄫♭3
- D♭5
- F7
G♭m(maj7) on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♭m(maj7) is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. String 5 rings open.
G♭ · B𝄫 · D♭ · F
Play G♭m(maj7) on the online piano
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G♭m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as F♯m(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♭(Gb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | B𝄫(Bbb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♭(Db) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | F |
How to use the G♭m(maj7) chord
The G♭m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major seventh. Start at the root G♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and F. 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 G♭m(maj7) differs from similar chords
G♭m(maj7) combines the minor third of G♭m with the major seventh of G♭maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in G♭m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between G♭m and G♭m7.
Where G♭m(maj7) is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key G♭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 G♭m(maj7) chord?
- The G♭m(maj7) chord contains G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and F (Gb, Bbb, Db and F in plain text).
- Is the G♭m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- G♭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 G♭m(maj7) on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♭, B𝄫, D♭ and F 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 D♭ are black keys and B𝄫 and F are white. B𝄫 is the key you'd normally call A. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♭m(maj7) on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 3. String 5 rings open.
- What is another name for the G♭m(maj7) chord?
- G♭m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to F♯m(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.