B♭ minor seventh (B♭m7) chord on banjo

Looking for the B♭m7 chord on banjo? It is a minor seventh chord (a minor triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: B♭ – D♭ – F – A♭. The same chord with a different spelling: A♯ minor seventh (A♯m7).

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 8medium

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What the B♭m7 chord sounds like

A minor seventh chord is softer than a plain minor chord – the minor seventh fills out the sound. In jazz it is the ii of the ii–V–I, in pop and soul a common colour chord.

Notes of the B♭m7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	B♭	root
3	D♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	F	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	A♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 6, ring finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 6, middle finger (F4)
String 3 (G): fret 6, index finger (D♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, little finger (B♭3)

Position 8

String 1 (D): fret 11, little finger (D♭5)
String 2 (B): fret 9, middle finger (A♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 10, ring finger (F4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The B♭m7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B♭ minor: i7 (tonic)
E♭ minor: v7 (dominant)
F minor: iv7 (subdominant)
G♭ major: iii7
D♭ major: vi7
A♭ major: ii7

Similar chords and substitutes

If B♭m7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C♯maj7 – relative major seventh: three shared notes
E♭7 – in a ii–V, this is the dominant that follows

Same notes

C♯6 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

B♭m – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

B♭m9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the B♭m7 chord?

B♭, D♭, F, A♭. The root is B♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play B♭m7 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 2 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some B♭m7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (F) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

Why do some songbooks write H instead of B?

In German and Central European notation, H is the note B, and B is the note B♭. So a “B” chord in a German or Hungarian songbook is B♭ in English notation, and an “H” chord is B. Always check which notation your chord chart uses.